Does UC Santa Cruz require the SAT? No, it's test blind
UC Santa Cruz is test blind: it won't read an SAT or ACT score, even if you send one. It admits 66% of applicants, so grades, courses and essays decide.
UC Santa Cruz doesn't read SAT or ACT scores
A score won't be read even if you send one, so it can't help or hurt. With a 66% admit rate, UC Santa Cruz is a Likely for everyone; grades, courses and essays decide.
UC Santa Cruz by the numbers
- Admit rate
- 66%
- Middle 50% SAT
- Not read
- Test policy
- Test blind
Test blind · checked Nov 9, 2026 · UC Santa Cruz admissions · SAT range from the Common Data Set, 2024–25; admit rate from it or IPEDS
UC Santa Cruz admit rate over 10 years
Applications rose 58%, from 45,532 in 2015 to 71,722 in 2024, and UC Santa Cruz's admit rate went from 50% to 66%.
- 50%
- 66%
Show the numbers
| Fall | Applied | Admitted | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 71,722 | 47,186 | 66% |
| 2023 | 68,845 | 43,054 | 63% |
| 2022 | 65,912 | 30,926 | 47% |
| 2021 | 61,695 | 36,177 | 59% |
| 2020 | 54,988 | 35,591 | 65% |
| 2019 | 55,796 | 28,629 | 51% |
| 2018 | 56,586 | 26,803 | 47% |
| 2017 | 52,969 | 26,984 | 51% |
| 2016 | 49,181 | 28,452 | 58% |
| 2015 | 45,532 | 22,897 | 50% |
In fall 2024, 4,383 of the 47,186 admitted students enrolled. Applicants and admits from IPEDS, the federal college survey, by fall of entry.
UC Santa Cruz waitlist
Waitlist
15,397 applicants were offered a spot, 10,111 took it, and 3,339 were admitted from it.
33%of students who stayed on the waitlist got in
Common Data Set 2024–25.
UC Santa Cruz cost and outcomes
What students pay after grants, how many finish, and what they earn.
- Average net price
- $17,890
- per year, after grants
- Graduate in 6 years
- 75%
- Median earnings
- $68,396
- 10 years after starting
- Undergraduates
- 19,317
College Scorecard, 2022–23, from the US Department of Education. Net price averages federal-aid students across family incomes.
Colleges like UC Santa Cruz
Other colleges that don't read scores, with similar admit rates.
- California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, CA · 75% admittedTest blind
- UC RiversideRiverside, CA · 76% admittedTest blind
- San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA · 85% admittedTest blind
- California State University-Long BeachLong Beach, CA · 46% admittedTest blind
- UC DavisDavis, CA · 42% admittedTest blind
- California State University-FullertonFullerton, CA · 91% admittedTest blind
More colleges in California
Sources
- UC Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2024–25
SAT and ACT ranges, early decision, waitlist, GPA and class rank, as the college reported them.
- College Navigator (IPEDS)
Applications, admissions and enrollment by year, from the federal college survey.
- College Scorecard
Net price, graduation rate and earnings, from the US Department of Education.
- UC Santa Cruz admissions
Test policy for 2026–27, checked Nov 9, 2026.
- UC Santa Cruz website
University of California-Santa Cruz
Updated Nov 9, 2026. Spot a number that's off? Email support@tryashore.com and we'll check it against the source.
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