Public · University
University of California-Riverside
Riverside, California · Large city
- 76.4%
- Admit rate
- $14,304
- Avg net price
- 76%
- Graduation rate
- $67,699
- Median earnings
University of California-Riverside is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Riverside, California (large city setting), enrolling 22,593 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
About Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. In the late 18th century and the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by Cahuilla and the Serrano people. Californios such as Bernardo Yorba and Juan Bandini established ranches during the first half of the 19th century. Entomology Research Museum at the University of California, Riverside (not open to the public). (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 3 miles to Riverside, CA
- To the ocean
- 40 miles
- Nearest airport
- 10 miles to San Bernardino (SBD) · major hub
How University of California-Riverside compares
More selective than 52% · #55 most selective of 107 in California
Higher than 86% · #36 of 122 in California
Higher than 82%
Higher than 81% · #56 of 130 in California
Cheaper than 75% · #32 cheapest of 118 in California
Lower than 86%
Lower than 6%
Larger than 96%
Percentiles compare University of California-Riverside with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate22,59386%
- Graduate3,78414%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women13,03458%
- Men9,55942%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White10%
- Black3.5%
- Hispanic40%
- Asian36%
- Other or multiracial10%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 22,593
- Graduate enrollment
- 3,784
- Student–faculty ratio
- 22 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 47%
- First-generation students
- 48%
- Students over 25
- 5%
- Median family income
- $35,809
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $153,864
- Endowment
- $277,082,000
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 5,521 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From California95%
- Other U.S. states1.3%
- International3.7%
Most first-years stay in state — University of California-Riverside draws overwhelmingly from California.
4% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 76.4%
- Test scores
- Not considered
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- —
- SAT average
- —
- SAT reading
- —
- SAT math
- —
- ACT composite
- —
- Average GPA
- 3.83
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $15,606
- Out-of-state tuition
- $49,806
- Room & board
- $20,691
- Books & supplies
- $1,576
- Total cost of attendance
- $38,942
- Average net price
- $14,304
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 76%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 65%
- First-year retention
- 88%
- Transferred to another college
- 9%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $48,593
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $67,699
- Median debt at graduation
- $17,500
- Students with federal loans
- 31%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 63%
About 11% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 8,700
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 39%
- Application fee
- $80
- Athletics
- NCAA Division I without football
- Varsity athletes
- 394 (180 men · 214 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (8)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- D
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 11.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 62
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 816
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (26,384 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$13,111/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
A meaningful share of freshmen — 57% — get grant money from University of California-Riverside itself, averaging $8,728, which softens the sticker price.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 5,522 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $67,699
- Typical debt at graduation
- $17,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 26%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 61%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $8,744 (14%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 97°F
- Winter low
- 43°F
- Annual rain
- 9.9″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Riverside Citrus Exp, CA US station (2 mi from campus).
What University of California-Riverside graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to University of California-Riverside
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of California-Riverside side by side →
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, Oklahoma · Midsize suburb · 18 mi to Oklahoma City
- Students
- 22,734
- Admission
- 77%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1246
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $63k
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, Minnesota · Large city · 1 mi to Minneapolis
- Students
- 31,855
- Admission
- 80%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1362
- GPA
- 3.7
- Earnings
- $69k
The University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, Texas · Large city · 13 mi to Fort Worth
- Students
- 32,294
- Admission
- 80%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 1124
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $63k
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, California · Large suburb · 24 mi to Los Angeles
- Students
- 25,042
- Admission
- 75%
- Net price
- $12k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $72k
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, Illinois · Large city · 1 mi to Chicago
- Students
- 22,170
- Admission
- 77%
- Net price
- $11k
- SAT
- 1250
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $69k
Indiana University-Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana · Small city · 46 mi to Indianapolis
- Students
- 37,806
- Admission
- 78%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1313
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $64k
Colleges near University of California-Riverside
UEI College-Riverside
Riverside, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 1,616 students
Platt College-Riverside
Riverside, CA · Private for-profit · Associate · 413 students
Riverside City College
Riverside, CA · Public · Associate · 18,346 students
Salon Success Academy-Riverside
Riverside, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 164 students
Riverside County Office of Education-School of Career Education
Riverside, CA · Public · Certificate · 105 students
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology
Riverside, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 317 students
California Baptist University
Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 8,179 students
InterCoast Colleges-Riverside
Riverside, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 65 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













