CA
University of California-Santa Cruz
7.67 incidents / 1,000 students
Santa Cruz, CA · Clery Act 2024 · Public
University of California-Santa Cruz
Across 2022–2024, University of California-Santa Cruz reported 224 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, and the yearly count rose over that span (largest filed category: Rape). Nearby same-state same-level comparison: San Diego Mesa College.
- 7.67
- Incidents / 1k students
- #1,838
- Rank of 2,072
- #288
- CA rank
- 19,938
- Enrolled students
7.67 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
University of California-Santa Cruz reports 7.67 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 420% above Portland State University. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Portland State University (3.81/1k); Sacramento City College (0.25/1k); Suffolk County Community College (0.35/1k); San Antonio College (0.95/1k); University of Miami (2.01/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes San Diego Mesa College (0.36/1k); Stanford University (21.26/1k); California State University-San Bernardino (2.00/1k); Modesto Junior College (0.00/1k); National University (0.00/1k); Rio Hondo College (0.17/1k); San Francisco State University (3.41/1k); California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (5.51/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Rape.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 7.67
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #1,838
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 89%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 95
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 110714 · University of California-Santa Cruz 7.67/1k score rate · #1,838/2,072
RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT
- RATE-HOT 7.67/1k
- RANK-BOTTOM #1,838/2,072
- ST-MID #288 in state
- ABOVE-PEER Portland State University · +3.86
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-UP ↑ 32%
- CAT-LEAD Rape
- ENR-MID 19,938
- FIRE-REPORT 6 fires
Nearest enrollment peer: Portland State University (-3.86/1k)
University of California-Santa Cruz sheet RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT · peer Portland State University. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is Portland State University (-3.86/1k). National rank #1,838 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
University of California-Santa Cruz reports 7.67 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 420% above Portland State University. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Portland State University (3.81/1k); Sacramento City College (0.25/1k); Suffolk County Community College (0.35/1k); San Antonio College (0.95/1k); University of Miami (2.01/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes San Diego Mesa College (0.36/1k); Stanford University (21.26/1k); California State University-San Bernardino (2.00/1k); Modesto Junior College (0.00/1k); National University (0.00/1k); Rio Hondo College (0.17/1k); San Francisco State University (3.41/1k); California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (5.51/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Rape.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around University of California-Santa
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest University on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- Sacramento City College · lowest peer 0.25
Sacramento City College — lowest peer
0.25 per 1,000 students
- San Antonio College · near 0.95
San Antonio College — near
0.95 per 1,000 students
- University of Miami · near 2.01
University of Miami — near
2.01 per 1,000 students
- Portland State University · near
Portland State University — near
3.81 per 1,000 students
- University of California-Santa Cruz · this campus · highest
University of California-Santa Cruz — this campus · highest
7.67 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around University of California-Santa Cruz's 7.67/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
University of California-Santa Cruz increased from 57 to 95 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 37 CA 4-year peers in this comparison, University of California-Santa Cruz is larger than 69% and safer-reporting than 11% - the larger, higher-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 78
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 64, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 53
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 97
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 72, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 97
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 56, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 31
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 78, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 22
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 81, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 39
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 53, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 56
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
- Point 13: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 86, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 14: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 47, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 47
- Point 15: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 44, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 16: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 89, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 6
- Point 17: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 69
- Point 18: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 3
- Point 19: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 39, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 81
- Point 20: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 94, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 94
- Point 21: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 36, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 22: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 97, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 44
- Point 23: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 36
- Point 24: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 31, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 72
- Point 25: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 28, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 26: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
- Point 27: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 22, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 28: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 19, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 28
- Point 29: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- Point 30: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 14, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 19
- Point 31: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 11, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 32: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 8, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 86
- Point 33: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 34: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 64
- Point 35: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 3, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 14
- Point 36: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 61
- University of California-S…: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 69, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 11
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shasta College | 9,073 | 1.10 | 0 | 61 |
| University of California-Merced | 9,110 | 6.92 | 3 | 14 |
| West Los Angeles College | 9,255 | 0.22 | 6 | 83 |
| Solano Community College | 9,282 | 0.22 | 8 | 86 |
| Skyline College | 9,572 | 0.21 | 11 | 89 |
| University of San Diego | 9,714 | 5.66 | 14 | 19 |
| California State University-Stanislaus | 9,724 | 2.06 | 17 | 50 |
| Santa Clara University | 9,728 | 3.91 | 19 | 28 |
| Chapman University | 9,760 | 2.97 | 22 | 33 |
| Loyola Marymount University | 10,179 | 6.68 | 25 | 17 |
| California State University-Bakersfield | 10,419 | 0.77 | 28 | 67 |
| University of California-Santa Cruz (this campus) | 19,938 | 7.67 | 69 | 11 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 19,938 enrolled students, University of California-Santa Cruz is the 212th largest of the 5,585 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment, ahead of 5,373 of them. Closest same-state same-level scored peers by enrollment: San Diego Mesa College (0.36/1k); Stanford University (21.26/1k); California State University-San Bernardino (2.00/1k); Modesto Junior College (0.00/1k); National University (0.00/1k); Rio Hondo College (0.17/1k); San Francisco State University (3.41/1k); California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (5.51/1k). The score above normalizes 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe (Portland State University is the nearest similar-enrollment comparison on this profile).
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at University of California-Santa Cruz rose from 57 to 95 (+67%). The increase shows up in Rape (24 to 46), Motor Vehicle Theft (4 to 13) and Burglary (6 to 12). Falling over the same period: Aggravated Assault (8 to 3) and Incest (1 to 0).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at University of California-Santa Cruz
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 8 Clery Act categories here: Rape, Fondling, Burglary, Motor Vehicle Theft, Aggravated Assault, Arson, Robbery and Incest.
The remaining 3 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Negligent Manslaughter and Statutory Rape. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyUniversity of California-Santa Cruz: Criminal Offenses by year
Rising 32% (72 → 95 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 72 |
| 2023 | 57 |
| 2024 | 95 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rape | 46 | 24 | 25 |
| Fondling | 18 | 13 | 14 |
| Burglary | 12 | 6 | 13 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 13 | 4 | 7 |
| Aggravated Assault | 3 | 8 | 9 |
| Arson | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Robbery | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Incest | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
9 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 5 | 99 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 177 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 3 | 2 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 2 | 125 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 224 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 3 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 2 | 251 |
| Liquor | 2022 | 3 | 259 |
| Weapons | 2022 | 6 | 4 |
University of California-Santa Cruz vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
OR
Portland State University
3.81 incidents / 1,000 students
CA
Sacramento City College
0.25 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where University of California-Santa Cruz sits on price and outcomes
At $17,890, University of California-Santa Cruz's reported average net price is cheaper than 45% among 492 California colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $20,161.
- $17,890
- average net price
- $20,161
- California median
- 3.0×
- six-year earnings to median debt
- $24,606
- reported income-bracket spread
Aid here is steeply income-scaled. Families reporting under $30,000 of income record a net price of $8,717, while those above $110,000 record $33,323 - roughly 3.8 times as much. A published average of $17,890 therefore describes very few families well; the bracket nearest your own income is the more useful figure.
Median reported earnings six years after entry are $49,716, roughly 2.8 times a year of net price. That is a workable ratio, though it says nothing about how long the programme takes to finish.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $16,005
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $50,205
- Avg Net Price
- $17,890
- Median Debt
- $16,666
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 32%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 66%
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 75%
- Retention Rate
- 88%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $49,716
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $68,396
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 79%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 463 similar institutions by enrollment size.
Portland State University
Portland, OR · 19,951 enrolled
Safety Score 3.81
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, CA · 19,920 enrolled
Safety Score 0.25
Suffolk County Community College
Selden, NY · 19,973 enrolled
Safety Score 0.35
San Antonio College
San Antonio, TX · 19,901 enrolled
Safety Score 0.95
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL · 19,852 enrolled
Safety Score 2.01
Closest by National Rank
University of California-Santa Cruz (national rank #1838) sits near Harvard University (#1837) and Lees-McRae College (#1839) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for University of California-Santa Cruz, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
Portland State University
Portland, OR · 19,951 enrolled
Safety score 3.81
San Antonio College
San Antonio, TX · 19,901 enrolled
Safety score 0.95
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL · 19,852 enrolled
Safety score 2.01
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, HI · 20,028 enrolled
Safety score 2.90
Georgetown University
Washington, DC · 20,031 enrolled
Safety score 3.94
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
New York, NY · 20,081 enrolled
Safety score 0.05
Vincennes University
Vincennes, IN · 19,795 enrolled
Safety score 0.40
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN · 20,276 enrolled
Safety score 2.37
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
Lees-McRae College
Banner Elk, NC · 910 enrolled
Safety score 7.69
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Albany, NY · 908 enrolled
Safety score 7.71
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · 30,259 enrolled
Safety score 7.63
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA · 2,490 enrolled
Safety score 7.63
Oglethorpe University
Atlanta, GA · 1,425 enrolled
Safety score 7.72
William Penn University
Oskaloosa, IA · 1,425 enrolled
Safety score 7.72
Bluefield State University
Bluefield, WV · 1,313 enrolled
Safety score 7.62
Regis University
Denver, CO · 4,605 enrolled
Safety score 7.60
Frequently Asked Questions
Is University of California-Santa Cruz safe?
University of California-Santa Cruz has a safety score of 7.67 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #1,838 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: Portland State University (3.81/1k). Same-state same-level set: San Diego Mesa College (0.36/1k); Stanford University (21.26/1k); California State University-San Bernardino (2.00/1k); Modesto Junior College (0.00/1k); National University (0.00/1k); Rio Hondo College (0.17/1k); San Francisco State University (3.41/1k); California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (5.51/1k).
What crimes are reported at University of California-Santa Cruz?
For calendar year 2024, University of California-Santa Cruz reported Rape (46), Fondling (18), Motor Vehicle Theft (13), Burglary (12) and Aggravated Assault (3), and 2 further categories in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does University of California-Santa Cruz compare to similar schools?
University of California-Santa Cruz reports 420% more 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than Portland State University. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: Portland State University (3.81/1k); Sacramento City College (0.25/1k); Suffolk County Community College (0.35/1k); San Antonio College (0.95/1k); University of Miami (2.01/1k). Same-state same-level set: San Diego Mesa College (0.36/1k); Stanford University (21.26/1k); California State University-San Bernardino (2.00/1k); Modesto Junior College (0.00/1k); National University (0.00/1k); Rio Hondo College (0.17/1k); San Francisco State University (3.41/1k); California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (5.51/1k).
Does University of California-Santa Cruz have fire safety data?
Yes. University of California-Santa Cruz reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 6 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.