University of California at San Diego

School Overview: Acceptance Rate, Tuition, and More

La Jolla, CA

$11,442

Avg in-state tuition

$41,196

Avg out-of-state tuition

BestColleges.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Discover programs by subject area to find the best college for your future.

Search All Programs

Work here? Claim your school's profile

About University of California at San Diego

School Type: Public

Status: Non-profit

Accreditation: Regional

Religious Affiliation: N/A While the student experience is largely unaffected at most schools with religious affiliations, some schools place more of an emphasis on religion. Learn how religious affiliations may impact students' experience.

Military Friendly: YesMilitary-friendly schools are Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, offer the Yellow Ribbon Program, and have a dedicated point of contact to support veterans, military service members, and their families. Explore our college guide for service members and veterans to learn more.

With its primary campus in the city of La Jolla, the University of California, San Diego enrolls about 38,000 students. The public university's acceptance rate is 31%, and its graduation rate is 87%. UC San Diego offers more than 100 undergraduate programs and over 65 graduate programs. The prestigious research university hosts one of the nation's leading research libraries. Students can enjoy access to almost 600 student organizations.

Admissions Breakdown

Acceptance Rate Insight

This school has a competitive acceptance rate.

This school is a little more selective about its students. Competitive acceptance schools welcome 15-50% of all applicants.

37% of students were accepted during the 2020-2021 school year. Sometimes schools with midrange acceptance rates have higher standards of entry but are still accessible to many students who apply.

Retention Rate Insight

Students remain enrolled in this school at a higher rate than other schools.

This typically means students are happy with their school selection and wish to continue their education there.
Learn more about how we determine school awards

94% of full-time students stayed to continue their studies the following academic year. These students started in Fall 2019 and returned in Fall 2020.

Graduation Rate Insight

Students graduate from this school at a higher rate than other schools.

This is typically an indication of a school's quality and means most students finish their degree in a timely manner.
Learn more about how we determine school awards

87% of students graduated out of all full-time, first-time students who began their studies in Fall 2014. Keep in mind many students who enroll are not typically first-time students, as most are adult learners. Therefore, the number of first-time students is traditionally low.

Application Considerations

Test scores Required

High school transcript Required

High school rank Not required or recommended

Letter of recommendation Not required or recommended

High school GPA Required

Open admission No

Completion of college prep program Required

Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) Required

Transfer Credit Policy

Dual enrollment Implied no

Credit for qualified life experience* Implied no

Advance placement (AP) credits Yes

*This can include previous jobs, trainings, licenses/credentials, or seminars. You may need to complete an exam or provide a portfolio to earn credit.

SAT & ACT

Students who attend this school typically have higher standardized test scores than students at other schools.

While test scores can be an important aspect of college applications, schools determine admission based on several factors, and these test scores are only a suggested range.

Learn more about how we determine school awards

ACT 25th-75th Percentile 28-34

SAT 25th-75th Percentile 1270-1480

Resource

Undergraduate Application Guide

Learning Environment

Student Body Stats

This school has a student body of more than 15,000 students.

Learn more about how we determine school awards

40k

Students enrolled

93%

Online student enrollment

19:1

Student to faculty ratio

Ways Students Can Learn

On-campus

International

Online classes are available for students around the world.

Demographics

Asian

30%

White

21%

Non-U.S. Citizen

21%

Hispanic

19%

Two or more races

Unknown

Black

American Indian/Alaska Native

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

Female student population

49%

Socio-economic diversity

32% of students received an income-based Federal Pell Grant intended for low-income students.

Explore Similar Schools

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA · Public · Non-profit

#4 Ranked in Best Biotechnology Programs

Costs to Consider	Price
Books and supplies	$1,124
On-campus room and board	$15,336
On-campus other expenses	$4,203
Off-campus (not with family) room and board	$13,749
Off-campus (not with family) other expenses	$4,900
Off-campus (with family) other expenses	$12,624

Total cost by category	In-state	Out-of-state
On-campus	$32,105	$61,859
Off-campus without family	$31,215	$60,969
Off-campus with family	$25,190	$54,944

#	Programs	BA	MA	Doc
1	Architecture And Related Services
	Real Estate Development
2	Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
	Central/Middle and Eastern European Studies
	Latin American Studies
	Chinese Studies
	Italian Studies
	Japanese Studies
	Area Studies, Other
	Ethnic, Cultural Minority, and Gender Studies, Other
3	Biological And Biomedical Sciences
	Biophysics
	Neurobiology and Neurophysiology
	Neuroscience
	Biology/Biological Sciences, General
	Biomedical Sciences, General
	Biochemistry
	Animal Physiology
	Molecular Biology
	Anatomy
	Microbiology, General
	Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other
	Bioinformatics
	Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
	Neurobiology and Neurosciences, Other
	Epidemiology
4	Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
	Management Science, General
	Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other
	Business Administration and Management, General
5	Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
	Communication, General
6	Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
	Computer and Information Sciences, Other
	Computer Science
7	Education
	Education, General
	Mathematics Teacher Education
8	Engineering
	Engineering Science
	Computer Engineering, General
	Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
	Biomedical/Medical Engineering
	Chemical Engineering
	Structural Engineering
	Computer Hardware Engineering
	Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Other
	Engineering, Other
	Biological/Biosystems Engineering
	Systems Engineering
	Mechanical Engineering
	Engineering Physics
	Materials Engineering
9	English Language And Literature/Letters
	English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
	English Language and Literature, General
10	Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
	Human Development and Family Studies, General
11	Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
	French Language and Literature
	Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
	Spanish Language and Literature
	Italian Language and Literature
	Linguistics
12	Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
	Audiology/Audiologist and Hearing Sciences
	Medicine (MD)
	Medical Scientist (MS, PhD)
	Pharmacy (PharmD [USA], PharmD or BS/BPharm [Canada])
	Public Health, General (MPH, DPH)
	International Public Health/International Health
	Public Health, Other
	Health/Health Care Administration/Management
13	History
	History, General
14	Legal Professions And Studies
	Health Law (LL.M., M.J., J.S.D./S.J.D.)
15	Mathematics And Statistics
	Statistics, Other
	Statistics, General
	Financial Mathematics
	Computational Mathematics
	Applied Mathematics
	Mathematics, Other
	Mathematics, General
16	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
	International/Global Studies
	Mathematics and Computer Science
	Cognitive Science
	Computational Science
	Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
17	Natural Resources And Conservation
	Environmental Studies
18	Philosophy And Religious Studies
	Philosophy
	Religion/Religious Studies
	Jewish/Judaic Studies
19	Physical Sciences
	Physics, General
	Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Other
	Chemistry, General
	Chemistry, Other
	Geology/Earth Science, General
	Oceanography, Chemical and Physical
	Physical Sciences, Other
	Materials Sciences, Other
	Physics, Other
20	Psychology
	Health/Medical Psychology
	Psychology, Other
	Clinical Psychology
	Social Psychology
	Experimental Psychology
	Developmental and Child Psychology
	Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics
	Psychology, General
21	Public Administration And Social Service Professions
	Public Policy Analysis
22	Social Sciences
	Social Sciences, Other
	Urban Studies/Affairs
	Sociology
	Political Science and Government, Other
	American Government and Politics (United States)
	Political Science and Government, General
	Economics, General
	International Relations and Affairs
	International Economics
	Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
	Anthropology
23	Visual And Performing Arts
	Directing and Theatrical Production
	Visual and Performing Arts, Other
	Music Performance, General
	Music, General
	Art History, Criticism and Conservation
	Fine/Studio Arts, General
	Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other
	Acting
	Playwriting and Screenwriting
	Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology
	Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
	Design and Visual Communications, General
	Dance, General
	Visual and Performing Arts, General

University of California at San Diego

School Overview: Acceptance Rate, Tuition, and More

About University of California at San Diego

Admissions Breakdown

Acceptance Rate Insight This school has a competitive acceptance rate. This school is a little more selective about its students. Competitive acceptance schools welcome 15-50% of all applicants.

This school has a competitive acceptance rate.

Retention Rate Insight Students remain enrolled in this school at a higher rate than other schools. This typically means students are happy with their school selection and wish to continue their education there. Learn more about how we determine school awards

Students remain enrolled in this school at a higher rate than other schools.

Graduation Rate Insight Students graduate from this school at a higher rate than other schools. This is typically an indication of a school's quality and means most students finish their degree in a timely manner. Learn more about how we determine school awards

Students graduate from this school at a higher rate than other schools.

Application Considerations

Transfer Credit Policy

SAT & ACT

Students who attend this school typically have higher standardized test scores than students at other schools.

Learning Environment

Student Body Stats

This school has a student body of more than 15,000 students.

Ways Students Can Learn

Demographics

Socio-economic diversity

Explore Similar Schools

University of California-Davis

University of California-Santa Barbara

University of California-Irvine

University of California-Santa Cruz

University of California-Berkeley

University of California-Riverside

University of California-Los Angeles

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Sonoma State University

Explore Similar Schools

University of California-Davis

University of California-Santa Barbara

University of California-Irvine

University of California-Santa Cruz

University of California-Berkeley

University of California-Riverside

University of California-Los Angeles

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Sonoma State University

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Student Charges

Tuition and Required Fees

Cost of Undergraduate Attendance

Total Undergraduate Cost

Financial Breakdown

Students Receiving Aid

Average Aid Awarded

Financial Outlook

Varsity Athletic Teams

NCAA Division II without football

Participation

Degrees Awarded by Program

Architecture And Related Services

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs

Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services

Education

Engineering

English Language And Literature/Letters

Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences

Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics

Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

History

Legal Professions And Studies

Mathematics And Statistics

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

Natural Resources And Conservation

Philosophy And Religious Studies

Physical Sciences

Psychology

Public Administration And Social Service Professions

Social Sciences

Visual And Performing Arts

Explore Rankings

Explore More Resources

Acceptance Rate Insight

This school has a competitive acceptance rate.

This school is a little more selective about its students. Competitive acceptance schools welcome 15-50% of all applicants.

Retention Rate Insight

Students remain enrolled in this school at a higher rate than other schools.

This typically means students are happy with their school selection and wish to continue their education there.
Learn more about how we determine school awards

Graduation Rate Insight

Students graduate from this school at a higher rate than other schools.

This is typically an indication of a school's quality and means most students finish their degree in a timely manner.
Learn more about how we determine school awards