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What University of California, Santa Cruz costs

Santa Cruz, California · Public · 17,940 undergrads

University of California, Santa Cruz's in-state sticker price was $43,867 a year in 2024-25 (College Scorecard). In-state students with federal aid paid $18,549 on average after grants; families earning under $30,000 paid $9,973. Out-of-state students pay $37,602 more in tuition.

What does University of California, Santa Cruz cost?

$18,549 a year in-state

Out of state: about $56,151 a year

What in-state students who got federal aid paid on average after grants, 2024-25. The in-state sticker price, with housing and food, is $43,867.

Tap your family income:

Average paid after grants by family income
under $30,000$9,973
$30,000–$48,000$10,713
$48,000–$75,000$13,446
$75,000–$110,000$18,220
over $110,000$35,350

Out-of-state tuition is $54,187 a year, against $16,585 in state. The out-of-state figure adds that $37,602 to the in-state average. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.

Own a business or have divorced parents? Run University of California, Santa Cruz's own calculator.

Net price 2024-25, College Scorecard.

By family income

In-state families who got federal aid, average paid per year after grants, 2024-25.

Family incomeIn-state, average paidOut of state, estimate
Under $30,000$9,973$47,575
$30,000–$48,000$10,713$48,315
$48,000–$75,000$13,446$51,048
$75,000–$110,000$18,220$55,822
Over $110,000$35,350$72,952

The out-of-state estimate is the in-state average plus the $37,602 more in tuition that University of California, Santa Cruz charges students from other states. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.

Run University of California, Santa Cruz's own calculator

For in-state families earning under $30,000, grants took 77% off University of California, Santa Cruz's sticker price.

Business owner, divorced parents, or savings? The averages can't see that; University of California, Santa Cruz's own calculator can.

Got an aid offer? See how to compare aid offers and ask for more.

Compared with colleges people also look at

For families earning $48,000–75,000, University of California, Santa Cruz cost more than California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, University of California, Riverside and San Jose State University.

CollegeFamilies earning $48–75kAll aided students
University of California, Santa Cruz$13,446$18,549
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona$7,638$9,404
University of California, Riverside$9,099$12,672
San Jose State University$12,135$14,241

Public colleges: in-state students.

The sticker price

$16,585
Tuition, in state, 2025-26
$54,187
Tuition, out of state, 2025-26
$43,867
Full sticker price, tuition, housing, food, books

Out-of-state students pay $37,602 more in tuition at University of California, Santa Cruz and usually get less aid.

34%
of undergrads get a Pell Grant, the federal grant for lower-income students.
$22,774
average grant for students who got aid.
27%
of undergrads take a federal loan.
$15,000
median federal debt at graduation.

Questions people ask

How much does University of California, Santa Cruz cost for a family earning $25,000?
In-state families earning under $30,000 paid $9,973 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $43,867. Your own price depends on your family's finances; University of California, Santa Cruz's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does University of California, Santa Cruz cost for a family earning $40,000?
In-state families earning $30,000–$48,000 paid $10,713 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $43,867. Your own price depends on your family's finances; University of California, Santa Cruz's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does University of California, Santa Cruz cost for a family earning $60,000?
In-state families earning $48,000–$75,000 paid $13,446 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $43,867. Your own price depends on your family's finances; University of California, Santa Cruz's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does University of California, Santa Cruz cost for out-of-state students?
Out-of-state tuition at University of California, Santa Cruz is $54,187 a year, against $16,585 for in-state students in 2025-26. In-state students who got federal aid paid $18,549 on average after grants in 2024-25. Adding the $37,602 tuition gap gives about $56,151 a year from out of state. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.
Where these numbers come from

Updated Nov 8, 2026Spot a mistake?How we get our numbers