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University of California, Santa Cruz

Scholarship

加州大学圣克鲁斯分校

QS —Times —US News #82
California, USA$45,000/year40% Acceptance Rate

University of California, Santa Cruz is located in the United States. Rankings: US News #82. Undergraduate tuition about $45,000/year; acceptance rate about 24%. Care4YA score 56.3.

Care4YA Index

Model-estimated

56.3/100

Score estimated by model — for reference only.

Dimension Scores

Outcomes

70.7

Resources

56.6

Selectivity

63.7

Affordability

41.7

Methodology vcare4ya-a1

University of California, Santa Cruz is known for its strong programs in Applied Physics, Artificial Intelligence, Astrophysics. The university offers a focused academic experience with particular depth in Applied Physics, preparing graduates for careers in technology, research, and industry.

U.S. News Rankings

Rank History

Best Global Universities · 2026 #141

The vertical axis shows rank position — lower is better; years without published data are omitted.

Graduate Program Rankings

Education

  • Best Education Schools#149*2026

Engineering

  • Best Engineering Schools#76*2026

Fine Arts

  • Best Fine Arts Programs#62*2026

Science

  • Biological Sciences#41*2026
  • Chemistry#77*2026
  • Earth Sciences#25*2026
  • Mathematics#67*2026
  • Physics#48*2026
  • Statistics#47*2026

Social Sciences & Humanities

  • Economics#53*2026
  • History#75*2026
  • Political Science#74*2026
  • Psychology#95*2026
  • Sociology#76*2026

* Tied rank.

How to Read These Rankings

National Universities: An annual ranking of U.S. national research universities, focused on undergraduate outcomes: graduation and first-year retention rates, faculty resources, reputation among peer institutions and counselors, student selectivity, and graduate outcomes. Use it as a general reference for undergraduate choices — schools a few places apart are usually very close in practice.

Best Global Universities: Compares universities worldwide almost entirely on academic research: publication and citation impact, international collaboration, and research reputation by field — undergraduate teaching and campus experience are barely measured. It is best used to judge research strength and the platform for graduate study, and is only an indirect reference for undergraduate choices.

Graduate program rankings: Ranks schools field by field (business, engineering, law, medicine, education, and their specialties), mainly on reputation surveys of deans and professionals in each discipline, plus employment outcomes and research indicators for some fields; not every field is updated every year. It shows how a specific program is regarded within its profession — most useful once you have a clear field in mind for graduate study.

Rank data is compiled from publicly released U.S. News ranking snapshots, for school-selection reference only; all rights remain with U.S. News & World Report.

Campus location

Marker shows approximate campus location

Deadline

January 5

Intake

September

Living Cost

$16,000

At a Glance

Enrollment

21,424

Undergraduate

19,317

Graduate

2,107

Student–faculty ratio (university)

22:1

6-Year Graduation Rate

74.8%

Retention Rate

87.9%

Avg Net Price / Year

$17,890

Median Earnings

$68,396

International Students

3.0%

Source: college_scorecard · 2026 data — for reference only

Research universityGraduate programs

Admission data reference

Reviewed dataset — always confirm on the official website.
TOEFL guideline
80
IELTS guideline
6
SAT mid-50%
1270–1410
Acceptance rate (data)
65.8%
Data source
CollegeScorecard_latest (Data year 2025)

Programs Offered

Grouped by college · 49 programs

Unsorted

  • AgroecologyDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • AnthropologyDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Applied Linguistics and MultilingualismDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Applied PhysicsSTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • ArtDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Art & Design: Games + Playable MediaDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Artificial IntelligenceDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • AstrophysicsSTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • BiologySTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Biomolecular Engineering and BioinformaticsSTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • BiotechnologyDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Black StudiesDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Business Management EconomicsDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • ChemistrySTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Cognitive ScienceSTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Computational MediaDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Computer EngineeringSTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Computer ScienceSTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Earth SciencesSTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Ecology and EvolutionDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • EconomicsDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Electrical EngineeringSTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Environmental StudiesDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Feminist StudiesDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Film and Digital MediaDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Global EconomicsDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • HistoryDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • History of Art and Visual CultureDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Human BiologySTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Latin American and Latino StudiesDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Legal StudiesDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • LinguisticsDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • LiteratureDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Marine BiologySTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • MathematicsSTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • MicrobiologySTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Molecular, Cell and Developmental BiologySTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • MusicDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Network and Digital TechnologyDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • PhilosophyDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • PhysicsSTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • PoliticsDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • PsychologyDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Robotics EngineeringSTEMDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • SociologyDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Spanish StudiesDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Technology and Information ManagementDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32
  • Theater ArtsDuration 4 yearsOfficial site

    Requirements

    This program · 2025

    TOEFL 80 · IELTS 6.5

    Admitted profile

    University · 2025
    SAT Mid-50%1270–1410
    ACT Mid-50%29–32

Requirements

  • IELTS 6.0
  • TOEFL 80
  • Personal Statement
  • Recommendation Letters

Tuition (USD)

$45,000/year

Tuition (CNY)

¥319,500/year

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