Santa Cruz is a city in California and its population is 176,428. There are 13 colleges near Santa Cruz, California - 6 public and 7 private schools. 2 colleges are located in the city limit and 11 colleges are in 30 miles from Santa Cruz. 9 schools provide undergraduate programs and 11 schools offer graduate programs.
A total of 95,882 students is attending one of those schools and its average 2025 tuition is $32,495 (based on out-of-state rate at 4-years colleges). The acceptance rate of the schools is 73.95% and the average SAT score submitted by enrolled students is 1,420.
| School Name | School Type | Undergraduate Tuition | Graduate Tuition | Enrollment | Students per Faculty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Santa Cruz 1.8 miles from Santa Cruz |
Public four-years |
$46,923 ($15,035) | $30,512 ($15,410) | 19,938 | 22 to 1 |
| Five Branches University 2.2 miles from Santa Cruz |
Private (for-profit) four-years |
Not Offered | $19,675 | 321 | - |
| Santa Clara University 26.1 miles from Santa Cruz |
Private (not-for-profit) four-years |
$61,293 | $31,694 | 9,728 | 11 to 1 |
| San Jose State University 26.2 miles from Santa Cruz |
Public four-years |
$21,010 ($8,410) | $20,014 ($9,934) | 37,661 | 25 to 1 |
| California State University-Monterey Bay 26.2 miles from Santa Cruz |
Public four-years |
$20,379 ($7,779) | $19,383 ($9,303) | 7,713 | 24 to 1 |
| Foothill College 27.0 miles from Santa Cruz |
Public four-years |
$12,590 ($1,565) | Not Offered | 12,949 | 26 to 1 |
| Foothill-De Anza Community College District 27.0 miles from Santa Cruz |
Public four-years |
- | Not Offered | - | - |
| Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey 27.3 miles from Santa Cruz |
Private (not-for-profit) four-years |
$48,654 | $48,654 | 526 | 1 to 1 |
| Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts 27.5 miles from Santa Cruz |
Private (for-profit) four-years |
$37,638 | - | 3,437 | 18 to 1 |
| Naval Postgraduate School 27.9 miles from Santa Cruz |
Public four-years |
Not Offered | - | 2,441 | - |
| California University-Silicon Valley 28.0 miles from Santa Cruz |
Private (not-for-profit) four-years |
Not Offered | $6,980 | 22 | - |
| University of East-West Medicine 28.3 miles from Santa Cruz |
Private (for-profit) four-years |
Not Offered | $18,188 | 81 | - |
| Palo Alto University 29.1 miles from Santa Cruz |
Private (not-for-profit) four-years |
$24,604 | $50,166 | 1,065 | 15 to 1 |
