Admit rate has ranged 24%–37% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
UC San Diego is a powerhouse of hard science and engineering, where surfboards and lab coats coexist. With a fiercely competitive admissions process (accepting just 26.8% of applicants) and a reputation for rigorous academics, it attracts students who thrive in its intense, research-driven environment. The campus culture leans more toward intellectual curiosity than raucous parties, though its stunning La Jolla location offers ample outdoor distractions. Graduates emerge with strong career prospects—mid-career salaries average $106,000—but the real draw is the chance to work alongside Nobel laureates and pioneers in fields like oceanography and bioengineering.
Admission requirements
Test-blind — scores not considered
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
34,948
In-state tuition
$16,758
Out-of-state tuition
$50,958
Notable Fact
Home to 8 Nobel laureates on faculty
Acceptance Rate
26.8%
Graduation Rate
88%
Mid-Career Salary
$106,000
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$84,943
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
6.8×
Median debt at graduation
$15,500
Graduation rate
86%
First-year retention
94%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
82%
Pell (lower-income) share
72%
First-generation share
40%
Endowment / student
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer Science$86,972
Computer Engineering$79,688
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology$71,015
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$69,606
Mechanical Engineering$67,846
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
42
Per 1,000 students
1.20
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
272
Summer high
75°F
Winter low
48°F
Annual rain
14.8"
Natural-hazard risk
Very High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
1,736
Scholarly works
354,693
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Future-scholar output
Science & engineering PhDstop 11 nationally
Humanities & social-science PhDstop 41 nationally
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at University of California-San Diego?
University of California-San Diego's acceptance rate is approximately 27% (La Jolla, CA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
How much does University of California-San Diego cost?
At University of California-San Diego, the average net price (after aid) is about $12,470 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend University of California-San Diego?
University of California-San Diego enrolls approximately 34,948 undergraduate students.
Where is University of California-San Diego located?
University of California-San Diego is located in La Jolla, CA.
Admissions
Getting into UC San Diego is no small feat—the Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. hovers around 26.8%, making it one of the more selective public universities in the country. The university does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admissions (though middle 50% ranges for admitted students historically fell between 26-31 on the ACT and 1300-1520 on the SAT). GPA reigns supreme: 82% of admitted freshmen had a 3.75+ GPA, with the average admit sporting near-perfect grades. UC San Diego evaluates applicants holistically, weighing factors like course rigor, extracurriculars, and personal insight responses. Transfer admissions are slightly more forgiving, but still competitive.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$61,218
Civil Engineering$58,221
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$55,964
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
4.8%
Bottom → top quintile
55%
From bottom quintile
9%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
UC San Diego is a STEM juggernaut, consistently ranked among the top public universities for science and engineering. With over 160 majors, its strongest programs include bioengineering, computer science, and oceanography—many of which are intertwined with the nearby Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The university operates on a unique college system (like Oxford or Cambridge), where students belong to one of eight residential colleges, each with its own gen-ed requirements and vibe. Faculty include Nobel laureates and MacArthur 'genius' grant winners, and undergrads frequently participate in cutting-edge research. The academic culture is intense: one student describes it as 'a school for serious students,' where collaboration often trumps competition.
UC San Diego’s social scene has long battled the 'UC Socially Dead' stereotype—this isn’t a Greek-life-dominated party school. Instead, students find community in over 600 clubs, from underwater robotics to K-pop dance teams. The beach is a 10-minute walk from campus, and surfing between classes isn’t uncommon. Housing is guaranteed for two years, and the eight colleges foster tight-knit communities (though some dorms are notoriously dated). Triton Weeks of Welcome (TWOW) kicks off the year with concerts and events, but the vibe remains more 'study group at Sunset Cliffs' than 'frat row.' As one Reddit user put it: 'I found my tribe in clubs... The only issue is you have to put in effort to find your people.'
UC San Diego delivers strong ROI: graduates report mid-career salaries averaging $106,000, with many entering tech (Qualcomm is a major recruiter), healthcare, and academia. The 88% graduation rate places it in the top 5% nationally, and four-year completion rates have surged from 46% in 1997 to 71% for recent cohorts. While early-career earnings hover around $48,000—typical for a mix of majors—STEM graduates often outpace that. The university’s ties to San Diego’s biotech hub and Silicon Valley create pipelines for internships and jobs. Notably, 94% of graduates achieve 'positive career outcomes' (employment, grad school, or fellowships) within six months.
As a public university, UC San Diego is a relative bargain for in-state students, with a Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. averaging $14,882 after aid. Out-of-state students face steeper costs, though the average financial aid package ($21,788) softens the blow. The Financial Aid Office emphasizes grants over loans, and over $160 million in scholarships are awarded annually. The Net Price Calculator helps families estimate costs, but hidden expenses (like San Diego’s high cost of living) can add up. Housing and meals run ~$17,000/year, making off-campus options popular for upperclassmen. For STEM majors, though, the career payoff often justifies the investment.
UC San Diego is a research titan with a beachside campus, where students can sequence DNA in the morning and surf at sunset. Its eight-college system offers quirky traditions (like the Watermelon Drop at Revelle College) and tailored academic support. The university punches above its weight in niche fields like climate science and robotics, thanks to partnerships with Scripps and the San Diego Supercomputer Center. While the social scene requires initiative, the trade-off is access to Nobel-winning faculty, cutting-edge labs, and a global alumni network. For students who crave rigor without Ivy League pretension—and don’t mind trading football tailgates for tidepooling—it’s a singular choice.
University of California-San Diego logo · sourceCampus Profile · sourceCollege Profile: Tell Me More About University of California-San Diego (UCSD) – Doing College · sourceSan Diego | UC Center Sacramento · source
