Paying for UC Santa Cruz
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
$46,923 ($15,035)
Graduate Tuition & Fees
$30,512 ($15,410)
On-campus Living Costs
$26,850
Off-campus Living Costs
$27,398
The 2025 tuition & fees of University of California-Santa Cruz are $15,035 for California residents and $46,923 for out-of-state students. For graduate programs, the tuition & fees are $15,410 for California residents and $30,512 for out-of-state students.
Compared to Public, 4-Years Colleges in California, the undergraduate tuition & fees are very expensive and the graduate tuition & fees are expensive.
The average living cost of the school is $26,850 when a student lives in on-campus housing. When a student lives off-campus, the average living cost is $27,398.
*Data Source: 2024-2025 Tuition & Fees - NCES (Last Update: 6/05/2025)
2025 Tuition and Comparison Chart
The following chart visualizes the UC Santa Cruz's 2025 tuition & fees and compares to similar schools by school type, level, and location.
2025 Tuition & fees
The 2025 undergraduate tuition & fees at University of California-Santa Cruz are $15,035 for California residents and $46,923 for out-of-state students. The undergraduate tuition & fees have increased by 3.50% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition & fees are $15,410 for California residents and $30,512 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition & fees have increased by 1.85% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition & fees and the tuition trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Residents | Out-of-State | California Residents | Out-of-State | |
| 2021 | $14,025 | $43,779 | $13,850 | $28,952 |
| 2022 | $14,070 | $43,824 | $13,895 | $28,997 |
| 2023 | $14,240 | $44,312 | $14,213 | $29,315 |
| 2024 | $14,560 | $45,337 | $14,855 | $29,957 |
| 2025 | $15,035 | $46,923 | $15,410 | $30,512 |
Living Costs
The 2025 average on-campus living costs is $26,850 including room & board and other living expenses (a student lives in on-campus housing such as dormitory and school-owned apartment). For students living in off-campus housing, the average living cost is $27,398.
The living cost at the school has increased by 9.90% from last year.
The following table and chart show the living costs changes over the last 5 years.
| Year | On-Campus | Off-Campus | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room & Board | Other Expenses | Room & Board | Other Expenses | |
| 2021 | $18,866 | $5,084 | $14,453 | $5,602 |
| 2022 | $17,429 | $5,179 | $15,135 | $5,722 |
| 2023 | $18,185 | $5,083 | $15,653 | $5,643 |
| 2024 | $18,785 | $5,646 | $16,697 | $6,264 |
| 2025 | $19,948 | $6,902 | $19,560 | $7,838 |
Books & Supplies Costs Trends Chart
The 2025 average cost for purchasing books & supplies is $1,192 at University of California-Santa Cruz. The books & supplies cost has decreased by 0.91% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 books & supplies costs and the trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Books & Supplies Costs |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,162 |
| 2022 | $1,180 |
| 2023 | $1,204 |
| 2024 | $1,315 |
| 2025 | $1,192 |