University Of California-Santa Cruz

University of California-Santa Cruz prices differently across income levels, and the spread is meaningful. Low-income families pay approximately $8,717 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $14,418, and higher-income families pay approximately $33,323.

Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #376 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

For a fuller picture of how published costs compare with what families actually pay, see the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/). Need-based aid shapes the experience for lower-income students more than sticker price alone suggests.

UC Santa Cruz participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, and California's Cal Grant program provides meaningful additional support for qualifying in-state students, helping to widen the gap between the published cost of attendance of $41,179 and what lower-income families pay. Middle- and higher-income families see less compression between sticker and net price, which is typical of public research universities operating within a state-tuition structure.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $16,666, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $28,682; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $67,085, median federal debt of $16,666 projects to a monthly payment of about $188 under standard ten-year repayment.

For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz earn median earnings of $67,085 four years after enrollment, placing University of California-Santa Cruz in the 71.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $5,034 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 76.2 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #528 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern at University of California-Santa Cruz reflects a program mix anchored in Computer Science, which accounts for 14% of degrees awarded — the largest concentration by far, followed by Arts at 9% and Business at 6%. Computer Science combines high enrollment with strong pay, making it a key driver of the university's overall return profile.

Azimuth ranks Computer Science #36 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 607 graduates earning median earnings of $123,422. The Psychology, General program graduates 431 students with median earnings of $59,948, and Azimuth ranks it #32 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment.

Business/Managerial Economics and Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences round out the high-earning programs, with graduates earning $82,064 and $69,849 respectively four years after enrollment.

University of California-Santa Cruz's program mix is anchored in Computer Science, which shapes the institution's overall earnings profile and labor-market positioning. Social Sciences accounts for 14% of graduates, followed by Arts at 9% and Business at 6%.

Across 40 programs serving roughly 4,741 students annually, 32 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a portfolio that balances computing strength with breadth in the social and biological sciences. The highest-earning programs reflect University of California-Santa Cruz's computing concentration.

Azimuth ranks Computer Science #36 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 607 graduates earning $123,422. Azimuth ranks Business/Managerial Economics #9 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 287 graduates earning $82,064.

Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with strong pay — 607 graduates earning $123,422 — making it the program that contributes most to University of California-Santa Cruz's aggregate earnings outcomes. For context on [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), see the methodology.

The Beyond computing, Psychology, General program graduates 431 students with median earnings of $59,948, and the The Business/Managerial Economics program graduates 287 students earning $82,064. These are fields where four-year earnings may undercount lifetime trajectory, since a meaningful share of graduates continue to graduate or professional school.

Computing and engineering programs, by contrast, are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly and earnings reflect national labor-market demand — context the [supply-demand map](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) explores in detail. ```