University of California San Diego
La Jolla, California · Public, a large city · 34,948 undergraduates
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Is it hard to get into UC San Diego?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
Acceptance rate
26.7%
130,771 applied
SAT, middle half
Not published
Not used for admission
ACT, middle half
Not published
Not used for admission
Test scores this year
Not used at all
22% of admitted students enrolled
- What they look at
- High school GPARequired
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programRequired
- EssayRequired
How much does UC San Diego cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
Tuition and fees, California residents
$17,337
Tuition and fees, out of state
$54,939
A full year, sticker price
$41,664
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$14,794
Students who got federal aid
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $9,229 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $9,965 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,147 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $17,235 |
| Over $110,000 | $32,338 |
- Room and board on campus
- $19,632 a year; $19,525 off campus
- Books and supplies
- $1,363 a year
- The school's own grants
- 56% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $11,334
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do UC San Diego students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
Typical debt at graduation
$13,000
About $148 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
23.8%
Get a Pell Grant
38.1%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
4.2%
What do UC San Diego graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Six years after starting
$67,904
Ten years after starting
$96,197
Middle half: $63,114 to $141,627
Best-paid program, five years out
$173,619
Computer Science
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$45,195
Visual and Performing Arts, General
Do UC San Diego students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Back for second year
94%
Graduate in six years
86%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
89% graduated
6% transferred, 0% still enrolled
Who goes to UC San Diego?
Women
54.8%
First in their family at college
39.6%
Part-time
2.4%
Students per teacher
19
- Background
- White 17%, Hispanic 27%, Black 2%, Asian 35%, Two or more 7%, International 11%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 19,711 beds
What do UC San Diego graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 446 | $82,223 | Hidden | $14,667 |
| Computer Science | 933 | $109,047 | $173,619 | $14,000 |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 175 | $76,064 | $106,878 | $15,000 |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | 44 | Hidden | $110,711 | Hidden |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 218 | $59,527 | $100,982 | $16,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | 190 | $70,446 | $100,641 | $16,090 |
| Civil Engineering | 189 | $69,754 | $101,732 | $17,500 |
| Computer Engineering | 381 | $104,513 | $152,769 | $13,000 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 366 | $88,098 | $125,735 | $15,648 |
| Engineering Physics | 5 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering Science | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering, Other | 72 | $64,415 | $97,669 | $16,786 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 8 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mechanical Engineering | 327 | $77,655 | $109,743 | $14,000 |
Business and commerce
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 717 | $69,142 | $96,733 | $11,001 |
Health sciences and kinesiology
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Health | 683 | $42,151 | $71,554 | $12,673 |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 320 | $47,239 | $86,521 | $15,500 |
| Biology, General | 669 | $34,326 | $78,570 | $13,852 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 177 | $90,963 | $126,919 | $18,145 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 1,581 | $42,575 | Hidden | $12,000 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 273 | $39,836 | $57,918 | $15,000 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 118 | $40,840 | $81,221 | $11,855 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 156 | $38,323 | $68,552 | $13,992 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 364 | $35,938 | $79,078 | $12,617 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | 268 | $43,458 | $106,014 | $13,540 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 35 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Chemistry | 384 | $55,576 | $91,369 | $13,511 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 37 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 445 | $54,763 | $83,654 | $15,500 |
| Physical Sciences, Other | 23 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Physics | 129 | $61,325 | $94,942 | $11,407 |
| Statistics | 111 | Hidden | $110,045 | Hidden |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 6 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 66 | $37,026 | Hidden | $13,954 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | 104 | $27,048 | $56,133 | $12,500 |
| History | 151 | $31,497 | $65,542 | $14,440 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 13 | $29,640 | $66,325 | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 64 | $27,655 | Hidden | $10,960 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 6 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 7 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Education (teaching)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education, General | 108 | $31,163 | Hidden | $11,700 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 15 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | 21 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Design and Applied Arts | 54 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 131 | $30,971 | $48,421 | $14,644 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 122 | $23,658 | Hidden | $14,741 |
| Music | 37 | $25,949 | $57,442 | $17,000 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | 126 | $32,584 | $45,195 | $12,000 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | 0 | Hidden | $69,716 | $15,505 |
Architecture and design
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Development | 117 | $55,549 | Hidden | $13,760 |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Science | 1,465 | $46,650 | $85,575 | $13,799 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 924 | $52,280 | $86,896 | $13,000 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 9 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 657 | $86,456 | $132,202 | $14,500 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 135 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Compare UC San Diego with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with University of California San Diego. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences