University of California-San Diego — College Profile

About

The University of California, San Diego is a premier public research powerhouse renowned for its cutting-edge innovation and massive research enterprise. Academically, the university is best known for the world-class Jacobs School of Engineering, renowned biological and oceanographic sciences, top-tier computer science, and strong pre-med pathways. Student life offers a uniquely collaborative, coastal California experience where surf culture meets rigorous study, set against the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean. Setting it apart from other large state institutions, UC San Diego divides its undergraduate population into eight distinct residential colleges, each offering its own general education philosophy, traditions, and supportive, small-community feel within a major research university.

Wikipedia:The University of California, San Diego is a public land-grant research university in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States. Established in 1960, it is the southernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California. It occupies 2,178 acres (881 ha) near the Pacific coast.

Location

La Jolla, CA, 92093 · City campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

SAN · San Diego

10 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$16,758$50,958

Housing & food (on campus)$18,970$18,970

Books & supplies$1,286$1,286

Cost of attendance$38,701$72,901 est.

Average net price$12,470Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$50,958

In-state: $16,758

Housing & food (on campus)$18,970

Books & supplies$1,286

Cost of attendance$72,901 est.

In-state: $38,701

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $12,470

est. = the in-state cost of attendance with out-of-state tuition swapped in; no out-of-state figure is published.

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$7,525

$30–48k

$8,155

$48–75k

$9,942

$75–110k

$15,199

$110k+

$28,785

Your family's actual price → University of California-San Diego net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2025-26

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$12,722

Share of first-years who get one5%

Source: University of California-San Diego's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

87%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

74%

Back for yr 2

94%

Transferred

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

90% graduated · 4% transferred · 6% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$65,669

10 yrs after entry$84,943

Debt

Median at graduation$15,500

Monthly payment$164

Middle 50% owe$9.2k–$23.8k

90th percentile$29,000

Green marks a figure above the typical Doctoral University: 70% graduate within 6 yrs, $63,395 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

27%

Test policy

Test free

Checked Sep 2026

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Essay prompts

If University of California-San Diego asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the school's application.

Student Body

Gender

Men 45%Women 55%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

19 : 1

Pell grant

34%

First-gen

40%

Family income

$35,914

Independent

11%

Veterans

Age at entry

20.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

17%

Hispanic

27%

Black

Asian

35%

Two or more

Non-resident

11%

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division I without football · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Fencing
Men's · Women's
Golf
Men's
Rowing
Men's · Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Swimming
Men's · Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Men's · Women's
Water Polo
Men's · Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$65,669

After 10 yrs

$84,943

Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences749

Cognitive Science722

Computer Science518

International/Globalization Studies511

Political Science and Government383

Economics364

Psychology, General350

Public Health338

Biology, General316

Mathematics and Computer Science299

Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods273

Communication and Media Studies244

Mathematics227

Chemistry227

Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology218

Computer and Information Sciences, General207

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$1.6B

Full-time faculty

88%

Faculty salary

$19,117/mo

Teaching spend

$26,067

per student

Federal loans

21%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral University

Research activity

R1 — very high research

$1.9B research spending · 637 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, more selective admissions