UC Santa Cruz or UC Davis? please give me advice!

Currently, these are my top two choices, but I am definitely in need of some advice!! UCSC is a lot cheaper than Davis, I would be paying very little at Santa Cruz ($255 per year) and Davis is a lot more expensive ($5,506 per year). I have been to Davis and I adored it, the school felt like home and I can imagine myself going there. I am very introvertive and love that Davis seems very close-knit. On the other hand, I have never been to Santa Cruz but based on pictures and what I have heard it does not seem like an environment I would love. I guess my question is should I prioritize comfort or financial help? I would really appreciate some advice :slight_smile:

@mmmthanks: First of all, UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz are on the quarter system so your tuition will be paid quarterly (3x/year not including summer). Did you receive any financial aid for UCD and will you be living on-campus? Did UCSC give you some financial aid along with merit aid and will you be living on-campus?

What is the actual cost of attendance for each school?

Davis is a very close-knit, friendly community. Santa Cruz has a unique set up where it is broken into 10 separate colleges/living environments. Can you make the time to visit Santa Cruz this month before making your final decision?

Assuming it is really $5k a yr cheaper, UCSC is probably the right choice. you need to take a trip to Santa Cruz, it is a pretty unique campus/community - you will love it or hate it pretty quickly.