Quad

Head-to-head

Rutgers University-New Brunswick
U. California-Santa Cruz

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Rutgers University-New Brunswick's yield is 11 pts higher than U. California-Santa Cruz's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Rutgers University-New Brunswick has 2.1× as many undergrads as U. California-Santa Cruz

    Undergrads
  3. 3

    U. California-Santa Cruz's grants cover 30% of its full price on average, vs. 21% at Rutgers University-New Brunswick

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Rutgers University-New Brunswick grads earn $6.1K more ten years out than U. California-Santa Cruz's ($74,479 vs. $68,396)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  5. 5

    Rutgers University-New Brunswick graduates 4 pts more of its students than U. California-Santa Cruz (84% vs. 80%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    U. California-Santa Cruz has 4 pts more Pell recipients than Rutgers University-New Brunswick (32% vs. 28%)

    Pell Grant recipients

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Rutgers University-New Brunswick admits 58%, U. California-Santa Cruz 66%; Rutgers University-New Brunswick's yield is higher, at 21%.

Acceptance rate
Rutgers University-New Brunswick58%
U. California-Santa Cruz66%
Quad's selectivity
  • Rutgers University-New BrunswickVery selective
  • U. California-Santa CruzSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1200–1600
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
1310–1500
U. California-Santa CruzTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Rutgers University-New BrunswickRigor and GPA very important
  • U. California-Santa CruzGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Rutgers University-New Brunswick has 2.1× as many undergrads as U. California-Santa Cruz; U. California-Santa Cruz has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Rutgers University-New Brunswick37.8K
U. California-Santa Cruz17.9K
Pell Grant share
Rutgers University-New Brunswick28%
U. California-Santa Cruz32%

Majors and faculty

Computer and Information Sciences leads at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and Computer Science at U. California-Santa Cruz.

Students per faculty member
Rutgers University-New Brunswick16 to 1
U. California-Santa Cruz22 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Rutgers University-New BrunswickComputer and Information Sciences, General11%
  • U. California-Santa CruzComputer Science15%

What each costs

U. California-Santa Cruz costs about $2.2K less a year than Rutgers University-New Brunswick on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Rutgers University-New Brunswick$32.2K
U. California-Santa Cruz$30K
Aid generosity
Rutgers University-New Brunswick21%
U. California-Santa Cruz30%

What each pays off

Rutgers University-New Brunswick's former students earn more, a median $74.5K ten years after enrolling; both graduate at least 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Rutgers University-New Brunswick$74.5K
U. California-Santa Cruz$68.4K
Graduation rate
Rutgers University-New Brunswick84%
U. California-Santa Cruz80%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; U. California-Santa Cruz got less selective while Rutgers University-New Brunswick held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Rutgers University-New BrunswickGrowing+115%
  • U. California-Santa CruzGrowing+76%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;Rutgers University-New Brunswick Common Data Set 2023–24, Fall 2025 applicants;Rutgers University-New Brunswick Common Data Set 2023–24, Fall 2023;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why