UC Accountability Report includes data on attendance costs, alum income
By Jeong Park
July 21, 2014 11:07 p.m.
The cost of attending a University of California campus was about $7,500 more than the average cost of attending comparable U.S. public universities during the 2012-2013 academic year, according to a UC report released on Friday.
The number is one of many the UC included in its annual accountability report, which provides statistics and an overview of the University’s performance in areas such as affordability and retention.
For the first time, the UC included data about income for its graduates. On average, UC alumni make about $86,700 per year 10 years after completing their bachelor’s degrees, according to the report.
Graduates with bachelor’s degrees in science-related fields were generally paid more after 10 years, while graduates with bachelor’s degrees in fields such as English and anthropology were paid about $20,000 less than the average.
Despite the higher net cost of attending a UC campus, the UC said in its report that it provides more grants and aid to students than other public universities do. According to the report, as of the 2011-2012 academic year, the UC provided about $4,500 in gift aid to students on average, compared to about $3,000 in gift aid to students at other public colleges in the Association of American Universities. Students at the UC also get more aid on average from the federal and state governments than students at other public universities, the report said.
The report also said that for students with families that make less than $103,000, the net cost of attending the UC has stayed relatively flat between 2004-2005 and 2012-2013 after adjusting for inflation. For those making more than $103,000, however, the inflation-adjusted net cost increased by as much as $7,000 over the same time period.
In the report, the UC also voiced concerns about decreasing financial support from the state, saying that it funded just 9 percent of the UC’s operating budget as of the 2012-2013 year compared to 23 percent in 2001-2002.
The University said a decrease in state funding has caused problems with faculty retention rates. The 2012-2013 year was the first in three years that the UC saw more faculty enter the system than leave it.
The UC accountability report has been released annually since 2009. When former UC President Mark Yudof stepped into the role in 2008, he called for the report as a way to make the UC more transparent and accountable for its actions.
Compiled by Jeong Park, Bruin senior staff.
