How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
University of California-Santa Cruz admits 65.8% of applicants. Among enrolled undergraduates, 31.6% receive Pell Grants and 36.7% are first-generation college students, reflecting a meaningful commitment to serving students from lower-income and first-in-family backgrounds. Transfer enrollment accounts for 22.7% of the student body, indicating that UC Santa Cruz functions as a meaningful pathway for students who begin their college journey elsewhere. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #170 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For graduates from low-income backgrounds, median earnings reach $51,900 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing University of California-Santa Cruz in the 78.3 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year graduation rate is 75.1%, and 67.9% of Pell-eligible students complete within that window — a figure that speaks to the university's ability to carry lower-income students through to a degree, not just enroll them. Freshman retention stands at 87.9%. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #76 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access-versus-outcomes dynamic at UC Santa Cruz reflects a campus that serves a broad population and converts that access into durable post-graduation earnings, particularly for students who enter from lower-income households.
University of California-Santa Cruz admits 65.8% of applicants. Among enrolled undergraduates, 31.6% receive Pell Grants and 36.7% are first-generation college students, reflecting a meaningful commitment to serving students from lower-income and first-in-family backgrounds. Transfer enrollment accounts for 22.7% of the student body, indicating that UC Santa Cruz functions as a meaningful pathway for students who begin their college journey elsewhere. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #170 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For graduates from low-income backgrounds, median earnings reach $51,900 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing University of California-Santa Cruz in the 78.3 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year graduation rate is 75.1%, and 67.9% of Pell-eligible students complete within that window — a figure that speaks to the university's ability to carry lower-income students through to a degree, not just enroll them. Freshman retention stands at 87.9%. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #76 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access-versus-outcomes dynamic at UC Santa Cruz reflects a campus that serves a broad population and converts that access into durable post-graduation earnings, particularly for students who enter from lower-income households.
University of California-Santa Cruz admits 65.8% of applicants. Among enrolled undergraduates, 31.6% receive Pell Grants and 36.7% are first-generation college students, reflecting a meaningful commitment to serving students from lower-income and first-in-family backgrounds. Transfer enrollment accounts for 22.7% of the student body, indicating that UC Santa Cruz functions as a meaningful pathway for students who begin their college journey elsewhere. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #170 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For graduates from low-income backgrounds, median earnings reach $51,900 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing University of California-Santa Cruz in the 78.3 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year graduation rate is 75.1%, and 67.9% of Pell-eligible students complete within that window — a figure that speaks to the university's ability to carry lower-income students through to a degree, not just enroll them. Freshman retention stands at 87.9%. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Cruz #76 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access-versus-outcomes dynamic at UC Santa Cruz reflects a campus that serves a broad population and converts that access into durable post-graduation earnings, particularly for students who enter from lower-income households.
