University of California-San Diego

www.ucsd.edu

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2024 Undergraduate Tuition

$12,260

3.6% growth from 2023

2024 Average Net Price

$14,047

After Financial Aid

2024 Acceptance Rate

26.7%

134,450 Applicants

2024 Enrolled Students

44,256

96.3% Full-Time

2024 Graduation Rate

86%

5,766 Graduates

About

University of California-San Diego is a higher education institution located in San Diego County, CA. In 2024, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at University of California-San Diego were Cognitive Science (743 degrees awarded), Anatomy (601 degrees), and Computer Science (415 degrees).

In 2024, 12,710 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at University of California-San Diego. 49.6% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 50.4% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was asian (3,800 degrees), 1.5 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (2,529 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at University of California-San Diego is $12,260, which is $−19,660 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

Photo by Vince Smith

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at University of California-San Diego is $12,260, which is $19,660 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $14,047.

In 2024, 59% of undergraduate students attending University of California-San Diego received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 21% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$12,260

2024 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2024, the cost of tuition at University of California-San Diego was $12,260. The cost of tuition at University of California-San Diego is $−19,660 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

This chart compares the tuition costs of University of California-San Diego (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$14,047

2024 Value

5.67%

1 Year Growth

In 2024 University of California-San Diego had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $14,047. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of University of California-San Diego grew by 5.67%.

This chart compares the average net price of University of California-San Diego (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$16,625

Room and Board

$1,307

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at University of California-San Diego was of $16,625 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 6.97% between 2023 and 2024.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,307. The cost of books and supplies increased by 11.2% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at University of California-San Diego (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

59%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

21%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

59% of undergraduate students at University of California-San Diego received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a growth of 3.51% with respect to 2023, when 57% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at University of California-San Diego (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Admissions

University of California-San Diego received 134,450 undergraduate applications in 2024, which represents a 2.81% annual growth. Out of those 134,450 applicants, 35,917 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 26.7% acceptance rate.

There were 44,256 students enrolled at University of California-San Diego in 2024. 89% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

University of California-San Diego has an overall enrollment yield of 20.4%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

26.7%

Acceptance Rate in 2024

35,917

Accepted Out of 134,450

In 2024, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of California-San Diego was 26.7% (35,917 admissions from 134,450 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2023, which was 24.5%. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of applicants grew by 2.81%, while admissions grew by 12%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of University of California-San Diego (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

89%

Submission Percentage (2020)

5,723

Scores Submitted (2020)

89% of enrolled first-time students at University of California-San Diego in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

Enrollment

University of California-San Diego had a total enrollment of 44,256 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at University of California-San Diego is 42,601 students and the part-time enrollment is 1,655. This means that 96.3% of students enrolled at University of California-San Diego are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at University of California-San Diego, both undergraduate and graduate, is 30.9% Asian, 22.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% White, 5.95% Two or More Races, 1.67% Black or African American, 0.0926% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0587% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at University of California-San Diego in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly Asian Female (18%), followed by Asian Male (16.5%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (16%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Male (10.4%), followed by White Female (10.2%) and Asian Female (8.26%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

96.3%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at University of California-San Diego in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 44,256 students. The full-time enrollment at University of California-San Diego is 42,601 and the part-time enrollment is 1,655. This means that 96.3% of students enrolled at University of California-San Diego are enrolled full-time compared with 77.3% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at University of California-San Diego (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

94%

2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at University of California-San Diego was 94%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (82%), University of California-San Diego had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at University of California-San Diego (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)

Asian
13,694 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
10,133 enrolled students
White
7,847 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at University of California-San Diego is 30.9% Asian, 22.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% White, 5.95% Two or More Races, 1.67% Black or African American, 0.0926% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0587% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 46.2% White, 16.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 10.4% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1,113 students (2.51%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2024, 98 fewer women than men received degrees from University of California-San Diego. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at University of California-San Diego is asian (3,800 degrees awarded). There were 1.5 times more asian recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (2,529 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at University of California-San Diego is Cognitive Science (743 degrees awarded), followed by Anatomy (601 degrees) and Computer Science (415 degrees).

In 2024, the most specialized majors across all degree types at University of California-San Diego, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Math & Statistics (605 degrees awarded), Interdisciplinary Studies (1,704 degrees), and Biology (2,152 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Software developers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of California-San Diego are Software developers (625,973 people), Physicians (531,480 people), Other managers (526,387 people), Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers (405,403 people), and Civil engineers (323,266 people).

The most specialized majors at University of California-San Diego in 2024 are Math & Statistics (605 degrees awarded), Interdisciplinary Studies (1,704 degrees), Biology (2,152 degrees), Physical Sciences (499 degrees), and Engineering (1,901 degrees) (as of 2024).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of California-San Diego are Surgeons, Podiatrists, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Physicians, and Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents

The most specialized majors at University of California-San Diego are Math & Statistics (605 degrees awarded), Interdisciplinary Studies (1,704 degrees), Biology (2,152 degrees), Physical Sciences (499 degrees), and Engineering (1,901 degrees) (as of 2024).

Common Industries by Major

General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of California-San Diego are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (727,246 people), Computer Systems Design (686,677 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (668,092 people), Architectural, engineering & related services (531,911 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (480,658 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by University of California-San Diego.

Most Common (2024)

Cognitive Science
743 degrees awarded
Anatomy
601 degrees awarded
Computer Science
415 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common bachelors degree concentration at University of California-San Diego was Cognitive Science with 743 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at University of California-San Diego according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

6,404

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2024

6,306

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2024

In 2024, 6,404 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-San Diego, which is 1.02 times more than the number of degrees awarded to females (6,306).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at University of California-San Diego by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2024, 671 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-San Diego in Computer Science, which is 3.67 times more than the 183 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2024, 449 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-San Diego in Cognitive Science, which is 1.43 times more than the 313 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

72%

100% Completion Time

88%

150% Completion Time

In 2024, 72% of students graduating from University of California-San Diego completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 88% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 89% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Male

Highest Graduation Rate (93.3%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2024 at University of California-San Diego is Male and American Indian or Alaska Native (93.3% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (75.5%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1.94% of graduates (112 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)

Asian
3,800 degrees awarded
White
2,529 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
2,224 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at University of California-San Diego is asian (3,800 degrees awarded). There were 1.5 times more asian recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white (2,529 degrees).

2.35% of degree recipients (299 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)

Asian Female
1,931 degrees awarded
Asian Male
1,869 degrees awarded
Asian Female
1,841 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at University of California-San Diego is asian female (1,931 degrees awarded). There were 1.03 times more asian female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian male (1,869 degrees).

Operations

University of California-San Diego has an endowment valued at nearly $1.56B, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 109M (6.99%) compared to the 9.4% average return (23.7M on 252M) across all Doctoral Universities.

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of California-San Diego are: Business and Financial Operations, with 1,542 employees, Computer, Engineering, and Science, with 1,375 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 978 employees.

Endowment

$1.56B

2024 Endowment

14.7%

growth from 2023

University of California-San Diego has an endowment valued at about $1.56B, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of University of California-San Diego grew 14.7% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $1.31B higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at University of California-San Diego (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$1.05B - Federal
$123M - State
$23.6M - Local

As of 2024, University of California-San Diego received $1.05B in grants and contracts from the federal government, $123M from state grants and contracts, and $23.6M from local grants and contracts.

Instructional Salaries

$261M

Instructional Salaries

1,515

Number of Employees

In 2024, University of California-San Diego paid a total of $261M to 1,515 employees working as instructors, which represents 6.82% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $4.1M (2.29%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of California-San Diego were Business and Financial Operations with 1,542 employees, Computer, Engineering, and Science with 1,375 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 978 employees.

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