Affordable Alternatives to University of California-Los Angeles
Open-data reference.
We found 13 schools structurally similar to University of California-Los Angeles that cost less. 3 offer comparable or better earnings outcomes.
Your School
Los Angeles, California · Public
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Alternatives to University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-Los Angeles posts an average net price of $12,548 after grants and scholarships, the IPEDS-derived figure used to anchor this alternatives search. We screened institutions in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System for colleges that report a lower net price and share structural similarity with University of California-Los Angeles across six dimensions – ownership sector, Carnegie classification, undergraduate enrollment, admission rate, former-student earnings, and completion rate. 13 institutions cleared a 40-percent similarity threshold.
The maximum possible savings across this list is $6,420, achieved by Princeton University at $6,128. Of greater interest to ROI-focused applicants: 3 of the 13 alternatives also report median 10-year earnings at or above University of California-Los Angeles’s $82,511, meaning lower cost is not paired with lower earnings. The mean median-earnings figure across alternatives is $75,665.
The similarity scoring gives enrollment size, Carnegie classification, and ownership sector the highest weights as transparent structural matching choices. Admission and completion rates are secondary features, while net price determines which lower-cost matches appear. Net price is the average cost of attendance minus grant and scholarship aid for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients; it describes that source cohort, not the aid a typical admitted student or any individual family will receive. It is more informative than sticker tuition for that cohort but is not a personalized quote.
Similar Schools That Cost Less
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Institution-level earnings + cost-of-attendance file · Institution data retrieved July 2026 Institution earnings use federally aided entry cohorts and are not graduate-only; net price is the cohort average for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients.
| School | Net Price | Savings | Earnings (10yr) | Graduation | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA · Public Better Value | $12,470 | -$78 | $84,943 | 86.8% | 75% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC · Public | $11,655 | -$893 | $72,200 | 91.6% | 69% |
| University of Florida Gainesville, FL · Public | $6,541 | -$6,007 | $71,588 | 91.3% | 69% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA · Public Better Value | $12,116 | -$432 | $102,772 | 93.2% | 61% |
| Florida State University Tallahassee, FL · Public | $11,297 | -$1,251 | $61,675 | 84.3% | 56% |
| Florida International University Miami, FL · Public | $9,288 | -$3,260 | $60,249 | 74.2% | 50% |
| University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL · Public | $10,974 | -$1,574 | $68,740 | 61.0% | 48% |
| Princeton University Princeton, NJ · Private Nonprofit Better Value | $6,128 | -$6,420 | $110,066 | 97.4% | 46% |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA · Public | $10,163 | -$2,385 | $78,466 | 62.8% | 40% |
| University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA · Public | $12,319 | -$229 | $78,466 | 66.8% | 40% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA · Public | $11,531 | -$1,017 | $71,902 | 67.6% | 40% |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO · Public | $11,900 | -$648 | $64,270 | 46.7% | 40% |
| University of Central Florida Orlando, FL · Public | $10,411 | -$2,137 | $58,308 | 76.6% | 40% |
Top Similar Alternatives
Quick picks from the full list – compare any two schools side by side
How We Match Schools
Our similarity engine compares schools across six dimensions: institution type (Carnegie classification), ownership (public/private), enrollment size, admission selectivity, former-student earnings, and completion rates. Each dimension is weighted by its impact on student outcomes.
Only schools with a lower average net price than University of California-Los Angeles are shown. Schools marked "Better Value" have comparable or higher median earnings at a lower cost.
Data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median values 10 years after enrollment, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records. Net price is the average cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time students, as reported through IPEDS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are cheaper alternatives to University of California-Los Angeles?
What is the ROI of attending University of California-Los Angeles?
Are there schools with better outcomes than University of California-Los Angeles for less money?
What is the cheapest alternative to University of California-Los Angeles?
How do alternative schools' earnings compare?
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.