Far WestUrbanPublic4-yearBiological+ Reach

University of California-San Diego

A reach for almost every applicant, including very strong ones.

La Jolla, CA33,787 students
Acceptance Rate
27%
highly selective
Median SAT
Net Price After Aid
$11.8k
Sticker $46.0k
Graduation Rate
88%
6-year, full-time

University of California-San Diego is a public institution in La Jolla, CA with an acceptance rate of 27% and 33,787 students. The average net price after financial aid is $11,750 per year.

About University of California-San Diego

A public 4-year urban university in La Jolla, CA.

University of California-San Diego is a college in La Jolla, CA. It enrolls roughly 33,787 students. The most recent acceptance rate is 27%.

Far WestUrbanPublic4-yearBiological
Acceptance Rate
27%
Highly Selective
Total Enrollment
33,787
Very Large
Retention
94%
First-years returning
Graduation Rate
88%
6-year, full-time

Your chances at this school

A clear-eyed view of how your profile compares to admitted students — and the things that would move your odds the most.

Acceptance Rate
27%
27 of every 100 applicants admitted
Your Chances
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Admitted Student GPA
3.82
Average across admitted students

University of California-San Diego is a reach school for the average admitted student profile. A reach for almost every applicant, including very strong ones. Here is what would make your application as competitive as possible.

Things that would move your odds the most

  1. Maintain a GPA of 3.82 or higher
    Admitted students typically present grades at or above this level.
  2. Build a single deep extracurricular peak
    Depth beats breadth at selective schools — one nationally-visible accomplishment outperforms ten clubs.
  3. Strengthen one teacher recommendation
    A specific, personal letter from a teacher who knows your work moves the needle.

Probability is based on a model trained on historical admissions data. It is a guide, not a guarantee. Admissions decisions weigh essays, recommendations, and fit factors that aren't in the data.

Admissions

What it actually takes to get into University of California-San Diego. Test scores, GPA, application requirements, and deadlines.

Cost & financial aid

Published costs can be misleading. Here's what families actually pay at University of California-San Diego after grants and scholarships.

Sticker price
Tuition $46,042
Average net price after aid
$11,750
After grants and scholarships

Net price by family income

Average amount paid out of pocket — tuition, fees, and room & board minus all grant aid.

$0 – $30,000
$7,487
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,864
$48,001 – $75,000
$10,389
$75,001 – $110,000
N/A
$110,001 +
$28,113

Net price represents the average cost after grants and scholarships for students receiving federal financial aid.

Pell Grant Recipients
33%
Need-based federal grant
Take Federal Loans
24%
Avg loan $14,778 / year
Avg Grant Aid
Per receiving student / year

Academics & majors

Where students at University of California-San Diego concentrate, and how the classroom experience scales.

Student : Faculty
Class-size proxy
Primary Focus
Biological
19% of degrees awarded
Retention
94%
First-years returning
A breakdown of the top majors by share of degrees awarded ships once we finish backfilling per-school program data.

Student body

Who attends University of California-San Diego. Enrollment, diversity, and where students come from.

Race & ethnicity

  • White20%
  • Asian37%
  • Hispanic27%
  • Black2%
  • International13%

Gender

  • Female52%
  • Male48%
International
12%
Of total enrollment
Live on Campus
Undergraduate residential rate
Total Enrollment
33,787

Outcomes after graduation

What University of California-San Diego graduates do next — and what they earn.

Median Earnings
$84.9k
10 years after enrollment
Employed at 2 yrs
Working or in grad school
Pursue Grad School
Within 5 years
Graduation Rate
88%
6-year, full-time

What this means

$85k is well above the national bachelor's-graduate median at the 10-year mark, and a 88% graduation rate puts University of California-San Diego in the top tier nationally.

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