University of San Diego — College Profile

About

The University of San Diego is a private Catholic institution renowned for its commitment to ethical leadership, community service, and a breathtaking 16th-century Spanish Renaissance-style campus overlooking Mission Bay. USD's strongest academic offerings are housed within the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, and the pioneering Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. As a designated Ashoka U Changemaker Campus, the student culture is deeply focused on social innovation, sustainability, and global engagement, boasting one of the highest undergraduate study-abroad participation rates in the country. Students benefit from small, discussion-based classes with dedicated faculty mentorship while enjoying an active, coastal lifestyle just minutes from downtown San Diego and the Pacific Ocean.

Wikipedia:The University of San Diego (USD) is a private Catholic research university in San Diego, California, United States. Chartered in 1949 as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University, the two institutions merged in 1972.

Location

San Diego, CA, 92110-2492 · City campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

SAN · San Diego

3 mi away

Open in Google Maps View official campus map

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

YoursEveryone

Tuition & fees$59,486

Housing & food (on campus)$19,918

Books & supplies$1,062

Cost of attendance$78,720

Average net price$30,365

Same price for all students

Tuition & fees$59,486

Housing & food (on campus)$19,918

Books & supplies$1,062

Cost of attendance$78,720

Average net price$30,365

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · 2023-24

$0–30k

$15,586

$30–48k

$17,441

$48–75k

$19,557

$75–110k

$27,012

$110k+

$46,989

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

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2024-25

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

Average award$23,136

First-years who got one221

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

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

83%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

69%

Back for yr 2

91%

Transferred

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

81% graduated · 14% transferred · 4% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$64,995

10 yrs after entry$86,522

Debt

Median at graduation$22,940

Monthly payment$243

Middle 50% owe$11.3k–$27k

90th percentile$33,500

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

52%

Test policy

Test free

Checked Sep 2026

Application deadlines · first-year, fall 2027 entry

Early Decision II

Jan 5 2027

binding in 95 days

A later Early Decision round: if admitted, you must enroll and withdraw other applications.

Regular Decision

Jan 15 2027

in 105 days

Not binding: the standard deadline.

Checked Oct 2026 · sandiego.edu · Confirm on the school's site before you apply.

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Essay prompts

How much essays count at University of San Diego: Important (one of four levels: very important · important · considered · not considered)

Source: University of San Diego's Common Data Set for 2024-25 — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

If University of San Diego asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 44%Women 56%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

13 : 1

Pell grant

21%

First-gen

25%

Family income

$70,085

Independent

11%

Age at entry

20.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

43%

Hispanic

28%

Black

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division I-FCS · EADA 2024-25

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

Programs & Earnings

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

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$64,995

After 10 yrs

$86,522

Finance and Financial Management Services175

Business Administration, Management and Operations162

Real Estate125

Psychology, General111

Marketing93

Communication and Media Studies92

Biology, General79

Political Science and Government71

Neurobiology and Neurosciences67

Mechanical Engineering62

Accounting and Related Services57

International Business50

Computer Science44

Industrial Engineering39

International Relations and National Security Studies33

Economics32

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$714M

Full-time faculty

54%

Faculty salary

$13,201/mo

Teaching spend

$18,725

per student

Federal loans

32%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral University

Research activity

R2 — high research

$13M research spending · 46 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, selective admissions