Acceptance Rate
27%
Avg. SAT
1540
75th percentile
“Sunny La Jolla's research powerhouse where biotech breakthroughs happen amid ocean breezes and eucalyptus groves.”
La Jolla, CA
Location
Large City
Campus Setting
You arrive at UC San Diego, founded in 1960 on the former site of a Marine Corps base in affluent La Jolla, as the youngest UC campus but already a research juggernaut thanks to its 1903 Scripps Institution of Oceanography heritage. The university sprawls across 2,000 sun-drenched acres overlooking the Pacific, blending rugged canyons, man-made lakes, and beach access that draws surfers between study sessions. Students who thrive here are self-starters—ambitious grinders drawn to STEM fields—who don't mind a massive scale (over 35,000 undergrads) and can navigate the impersonality of large lectures or endless bike commutes up steep hills. The school's personality skews intensely academic and quirky-nerdy, with a diverse crowd including many internationals from Asia, fostering innovation but sometimes leaving social butterflies craving more rah-rah spirit. Tradeoffs hit hard: parking is a nightmare, housing costs soar in nearby San Diego (one of America's priciest cities), and the beachy vibe tempts procrastination amid perfect 70-degree weather.
Photo Gallery
+20
+12
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In UCSD's classrooms, you'll juggle massive intro lectures in bear-filled stadium seats with intimate seminars in one of the six undergraduate colleges, where Revelle demands a humanities-heavy core rivaling a liberal arts school while Warren offers flexibility for tech obsessives. The intellectual culture pulses with undergrad research—expect to clone genes at the Scripps Research Institute or model climate change at Scripps Oceanography by sophomore year—fueled by a 19:1 student-faculty ratio that's decent for a public giant but means TAs handle much grading. Standouts include top-ranked programs in biological sciences (think CRISPR pioneers), nanoengineering, and cognitive science, drawing more selective admits than 90% of U.S. publics at 24% acceptance. Tradeoffs? Weeder courses in bio and chem crush GPAs early, and humanities feel secondary to the lab rat ethos.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
34,955 undergrad • 9,301 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
19%
Black / African American
2%
Hispanic / Latino
22%
Asian
31%
Other / Multi-racial
27%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
La Jolla, CA
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
Campus life revolves around the six-college system—think mini-Oxbridge with Muir's tie-dye activism, Marshall's pre-professionals, and Roosevelt's chill wellness focus—where you live, eat, and rally for college-specific traditions like Revelle's infamous freshman picnic or Sixth's outdoor movie nights. A typical week mixes 20-hour lab hauls, beach volleyball at sunset on Black's Beach (clothing-optional, naturally), and low-key parties in off-campus apartments since dorms enforce strict hours. Over 600 clubs keep introverts engaged in robotics or K-pop dance, but the vibe earns the old 'UC Socially Dead' tag for its study-first crowd—GPA chasers over frat-hoppers—though beach bonfires and San Diego's craft brew scene liven weekends. Positives abound in endless sunshine and proximity to Torrey Pines hiking; challenges include isolation (campus feels like its own bubble), competitive friend groups, and wildfire smoke some summers.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Big West Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Recognized student veteran organization
Yes
Member of DoD Voluntary Educational Partnership MOU
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
94%
4 Years Graduation Rate
79%
6 Years Graduation Rate
90%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$84,943
94% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at University of California-San Diego and return in the fall. 79% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 90% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
79%
4-5 years
11%
6-8 years
1%
Non-grad
9%
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Key Statistics
Type
Public
Tuition
$11,564
Acceptance
27%
Undergrads
34,955
4-Year Grad Rate
79%
Endowment
$1.4B
La Jolla, CA 92093
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