Loyola Marymount vs UC Santa Cruz

College Search & Selection
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Hi everyone, I am a HS senior from the East Coast and I’ve been accepted to Loyola Marymount University, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Riverside. I’m still waiting to hear back from a couple of other colleges but it will most likely come down to choosing between LMU and UCSC. My concerns for each school:

LMU: It’s a Jesuit school and I’m not religious (probably consider myself agnostic) so I worry that there will be pressure to attend mass as well as possible exclusion for not being Christian. Also, how diverse is the school?

UCSC: Is it true that the college has a drug problem? I have no intention of becoming a pothead myself in college. The second concern is that UC Santa Cruz is known as an ultra-liberal school. I consider myself a liberal-leaning moderate, but I worry about the pressure on campus to conform and intolerance for any differing opinions. Can anyone shed more light on the campus atmosphere?

I’m not a California resident, so I’m attending out of state. What is the experience like for out of state students? UC Santa Cruz is slighter less expensive because it is a public state school, but I’m mostly concerned about the reputations of the two schools and how there could potentially be pressure for me to conform to their particular attitudes. Any advise to help me decide would be greatly appreciated.

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Can you visit the schools? Neither will provide pressure for you to not be who you are. You can absolutely be atheist at LMU and a straight nerd at UCSC. Attitudes are wide open and accepting at both (generally up and down west coast). LMU is certainly a more conservative school, more preppy, overlooks the Pacific, nestled above a high rent area of LA, and much smaller that UCSC. UCSC is nestled in redwoods down the road from the beach, set in the total beach own of Santa Cruz and is a large public. They are two very different schools, I would think you would have a strong preference for one or the other, being they are soooo different. What is your major? Do you want to double major? How important is the ability to change majors? Do you like big or small?

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I hope to visit the two schools during April break but i would like to get as much information as possible before May 1st. I’m majoring in Sociology for LMU and I’m Undeclared for UCSC. My hope is that I’ll be able to find something I’m “passionate” about and then switch into that major later. It would likely to be something connected to either History, Business, or East Asian Studies. I’m open to double major but I worry about the workload. Major and a minor might be better, not sure if schools offer that. My HS has about 2000 kids so i would like to go somewhere much bigger.

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Don’t worry, we’re chill in CA, and not from smoking anything. Just be yourself and find your group.
UCSC has an outstanding faculty and has more of a national profile than LMU if you plan to go back to the East Coast. LMU has some beautiful facilities, but you have to drive a bit to get to the cool parts of LA. UCSC feels like you’re up in the mountains, and Santa Cruz is a little beach town with motels that are kind of run down. You will get private-school attention at LMU, but probably more of a cutting-edge education at UCSC. This is a choice that calls for visits!!

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LMU:
If you are from the East Coast, then perhaps you are aware that non-Catholics don’t typically face any religious issues at Jesuit schools like Georgetown, Fordham, or Boston College. LMU, which is also a Jesuit school, is no different in this regard.

According to College Navigator, whites are a minority at LMU (45%). Other ethnicities include Hispanic (21%), Asian (11%), black (6%), and mixed (8%). By California standards, this is not very diverse (less diverse than UCSC, for example). However, it might seem diverse by East Coast standards.

UCSC:
Traditionally, USCS has been perceived as the “hippie” UC campus, including a reputation for pot use. I’m sure that marijuana is still available, but my impression is that UCSC is much more sober today than it was in the past. Northern California is now known as a technology mecca, rather than a hippie mecca, and UCSC has been included in that transition.

For better or worse, UCSC is a much more “insular” campus than LMU. Only you can judge if the campus atmosphere is too liberal. But be aware that if you don’t like the atmosphere, then there aren’t a lot of other places to go. The city of Santa Cruz is obviously nearby, but it isn’t very large, and it is also quite liberal. UCSC isn’t in the heart of a huge metro area, as LMU is.

Have to agree with the previous poster that these are two very different schools. They have little in common except that they are both located in California (though in very different parts of the state), and are roughly comparable in terms of admissions difficulty.

Possible East Coast analogy: Fordham vs. University of Vermont. One is a preppy Jesuit school in a huge urban area; the other is a left-leaning state university in a small liberal city with lots of forest nearby. To a Californian, both would be “East Coast” schools, but they are far apart in more ways than one.

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Yes a visit is definitely necessary. Be aware that they are quite far apart and will take a full day to drive from one to the other. You can also take a flight from LAX to San Jose and then drive to Santa Cruz.

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I appreciate the advice everyone! It seems visiting the schools next month will definitely be a necessity for me. I’m also wondering, from a Californian’s viewpoint, which school is academically perceived better? I know their acceptance rates are similar, but UCSC is ranked nationally on USnews while LMU is ranked regionally. What does that denote?

If I’m applying for a job, internship, grad school, etc in California, which school has the comparative advantage? This could just be faulty East Coast info, but I’ve heard that UCSC and other schools within the California public school system are constantly subject to budget cuts from the state gov. Is this a potential issue for me as a student?

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I would view UCSC as the better school academically, but that doesn’t mean LMU won’t work out better for you.

The UCs and CSUs were having big budget problems a few years ago. That’s less the case now, although you’ll never hear a school or its administrators say they have enough money.

I’ve never been on the Loyola Marymount campus, so I can’t say much about it. I live a little bit up the coast from UCSC. I personally don’t like the campus because it feels like an Ewok village or a summer camp, while others will love the campus for that very reason. Its reputation is slowly changing from a hippie school to an engineering school, due to its proximity to Silicon Valley. (Still plenty of hippies, though.) I’d imagine there’s a little bit more weed on campus than at other campuses, but I’ve never heard that it had a “drug problem.”

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It basically means that UCSC is a research university (i.e. it has a significant number of Ph.D. programs), and that LMU is not. LMU is known only for teaching (although this includes graduate-level instruction, like EdD and JD programs).

The terms “national university” and “regional university”, as used by USNews, aren’t particularly helpful. You could make a case that UCSC is actually the more “regional” school; according to College Navigator, only about 5% of UCSC undergraduates are out-of-state, while LMU has 26%.

You can’t make valid generalizations about “California” as a whole; it’s too big. A UCSC degree will be better in northern California, particularly the Bay Area. But an LMU degree will be better in southern California, particularly Greater LA. Outside of California, a UCSC degree will be better, but this is only because it carries the well-known “University of California” brand name, not because of the reputation of the Santa Cruz campus specifically.

Virtually every public university system in the US, including California’s, has faced budgetary issues over the past 10 years or so. However, state funding for UCs is currently stable; in fact, it has actually risen over the past few years. This is because the UCs found an alternative source of revenue: accepting more out-of-state students to get the higher out-of-state tuition. This made UC admissions more competitive for state residents, which made them unhappy, so the state agreed to provide more $$ in return for more in-state admissions.

The main financial issue for the UCs is not funding cuts. The problem is that demand for a UC education has soared (applications have doubled over the past 10 years), and the system has not grown fast enough to keep up. Only one new UC campus (Merced) has opened in recent years; more were needed. So every UC campus, including UCSC, is currently under a lot of pressure to squeeze in more and more students, into already-crowded classrooms and dorms.

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As the posted above described, UC (and CSU) schools are impacted.
What that means for you is that you may not be able to easily graduate in four years. The current quote for UC graduation from the Regents is 4.5 years. That’s on average for all UC’s, so take it for what it is. YMMV.
What it may mean for you is a pertinent question, however. Do you spend 4 years and a semester? Do you take classes during summer for a year or so? In addition to general ed classes, is your particular major impacted?
If you’re in a major that has a prescribed path to graduation (Engineer, for example), does that assure you of getting the courses you need? At LMU, unless you change majors mid-way, the chance of a four-year graduation are very high.

The other thing that you should consider and factor in are travel time and costs for both schools.
LMU is LAX adjacent and will cost you about $15.00 by taxi or Uber. You’d be on campus within 15 minutes.
UCSC is 1 hour away or so via shuttle from San Jose Int’l. which currently cost around $45.00 each way,
OR about 1.45 hours on a shuttle from SFO (only available approximately once every two hours) which costs around $60.00 each way.
Remember that the times to campus will be after you’ve potentially taken a 5 or 6 hour flight (depend on headwinds) from the East Coast.

Both schools are solid.
With the assumption that you research both prior to applying, what drew you to each school to begin with?
Try to determine which will meet your current needs best.

They are so different that I am confident your visit will give you the clarity you need.

1 Like
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Graduation rates for students who started in Fall 2009, from College Navigator:

Graduating in 4 years: UCSC 55%, LMU 70%
Graduating in 6 years: UCSC 78%, LMU 79%

Those are the most recent numbers (note that it takes 6 years after enrollment to determine the 6-year graduation rate). So yes, LMU students are more likely to graduate in 4 years, although the total graduation rate after 6 years is about the same.

12

If you’ve been to East Coast university campuses, then LMU’s campus should seem basically familiar: big buildings neatly arranged around quads, with some nice trees, in a wealthy neighborhood in a large city. Obviously there are some differences (the buildings may have red tile roofs, the trees are palm trees, LA is not Boston or NYC), but you’ll recognize the general pattern. For long-distance travel, LMU is probably more convenient than any other school on the West Coast, since it’s just down the street from LAX.

I don’t know of any East Coast analogues to the UCSC campus. Lots of modern buildings scattered throughout a redwood forest and adjoining meadows. The “Ewok village” or “summer camp” descriptions are actually reasonable; you might love it or hate it. The nearby city of Santa Cruz has lots of character – but it’s a somewhat weird character, so again you might love it or hate it.

LMU clearly attracts more out-of-staters than UCSC (26% out-of-state enrollment vs. only 5%, as noted above). Some UCs get a lot of interest from out-of-staters, but not typically UCSC. This may in part reflect the fact that UCSC is “off the beaten track”, not located within or between the major urban centers. Also, LMU is just more mainstream than UCSC, and easier for non-Californians to deal with. Compare mascots, for example: what could be more mainstream than the LMU mascot, or less mainstream than the UCSC mascot?

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Re: drug problem

Many residential colleges have drug problems, but the most common type of drug involved is alcohol.

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Are you fairly certain of a the sociology major? LMU will give you flexibility, at UCSC you go into the major after a certain amount of time, sociology should be pretty accessible - but moving around majors is not nearly as easy as it would be at LMU. Both schools would allow you to reach your goals - you will know what you like when you get there. Leave plenty of time to get to UCSC if going straight from airport - Hwy 17 (also called 880 south out of the airport) is the road to the beach for Silicon Valley masses and can get quite backed up on weekends (best before 10 am), and also during commute time on weekdays - try to avoid the 5-7pm time for everyone going home that lives over there but works in SV.

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LMU campus is beautiful and impeccably maintained and it’s very obvious you are at a private college. It’s a very good school and certainly easy to get internships as you are IN Los Angeles. You are very close to fun neighborhoods like Venice, the Marina and of course the beach and I think the school has a shuttle. The proximity to LAX will make your life MUCH easier if you are traveling from the East Coast - that should be a not be an insignificant factor. Cross country travel gets old very fast. Also the dorms are nice. My daughter did an admitted overnight and she really liked the school despite originally being skeptical of a Jesuit school. We went back and forth almost to decision day but she chose another in state school for practical $$ reasons.

At UCSC - the dorms are overcrowded so it’s quite likely you will be 3 or 4 in a room meant for 2. That said - I love the UCSC campus. It’s quintessentially northern California. My daughter didn’t like it as much as I did. It will not be an easy journey to and from the east coast.

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I’m a conservative, non pot smoking UCSC Alumni and my mother has been a professor at LMU for 25+ years…

Regarding UCSC and it’s liberalism, I still vote Republican and did not let any of the culture influence me. there’s no “conformity” required there. Regarding the pot, well it’s a fact of life and I never smoked pot there nor did a big group of my friends. Yes it is everywhere, but ultimately its your own willpower that will determine if you will do it or not. The Atmosphere at the school is laid back and relaxed, there’s no pressure to join fraternities, everyone just wants to enjoy the environment (literally and physically, it is beautiful campus)

LMU - I dont think they force the religion on you, perhaps a class or two, but that’s it. None of my friends who have graduated from LMU or their sister school Santa Clara University, have complained about religion.

Regarding costs, you’re screwed either way between private tuition and out of state tuition. If your parents can afford it, you should see if they can help with a downpayment on a house in Santa Cruz ASAP. Build residency so you can qualify for instate tuition, then have the rent from the roommates pay the mortgage, and sell the house when you graduate. Housing prices in SC have only gone up.

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I just finished my 2nd quarter at UCSC as a transfer student! I am a business management econ major going the accounting track and I am really enjoying it.

I am a Christian actually and just found friends that I enjoy being around. I don’t smoke week and sure I smell it around campus occasionally but no one pressures me because of either of those things. The business program, especially accounting, is really great because it isn’t as impacted. I got an summer internship within two months of transferring.

As far as aid goes, I was accepted to 4 private Christian colleges out of high school and could not afford any of them. At UCSC I pay like 10% of what it was going to be to go to a private college (I do pay in state though).

Overall I had the same concerns as you about UCSC and am currently loving it. I think it is a great experience. I also politically am liberal leaning yet still more moderate and I haven’t felt “attacked” about it at all. I think the atmosphere is acceptance and inclusion. There isn’t pressure to do anything or be anything which I think is really great in a college!

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Visiting is probably wise. One thing about UCSC is that the academic reputation of the University of California system is stellar as a whole, even with (big) differences among the various campuses. It’s a great system for public universities, with lots of support even during times of challenging budgets. As for UCSC and drug problem; no, not if you aren’t interested. It’s like all colleges. If you want a druggy social life, it’s there. If you don’t, this is there too, with no judgement. You’ll get exposure to both!

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Thanks for all the replies everyone! I really appreciated all of your helpful input. Just wanted to say that I’ve decided to commit to LMU after visiting a few days ago. Campus visit really did made my choice clear.

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@monetary21 Thanks for updating and congratulations! LMU is gorgeous right? And the neighborhood around it is cute and clean - you will have a great four years there. Both were great choices, glad the visit made it clear for you, thought it would! You will enjoy dining at Manhattan Beach and strolling from Marina Del Rey down to wild and crazy Venice Beach, plus a million other things in the area. Enjoy your new life!