University of California-San Diego is a public 4-year college in La Jolla, California with 34,948 undergraduates. It admits 27% of applicants, costs an average of $14,794 a year after grants and graduates 86% of its students.
Figures from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, released October 15, 2026. What each number covers.
University of California-San Diego acceptance rate and admissions
University of California-San Diego admitted 27% of applicants for fall 2024, about 1 in 4. The median acceptance rate at 4-year colleges is 77%.
Test scores: Neither required nor recommended (as reported for fall 2024 admission). That means you can apply without SAT or ACT scores. Check the admissions office for the current policy.
University of California-San Diego tuition, cost and net price
| Tuition and fees, in-state (2025-26) | $17,337 |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state (2025-26) | $54,939 |
| On-campus housing and food (2025-26) | $19,632 |
| Total cost of attendance (2024-25) | $41,664 |
| Average net price after grants (2024-25) | $14,794 |
Students who get federal aid pay an average of $14,794 a year after grants and scholarships, $26,870 less than the full cost of attendance. This figure covers in-state students.
What families pay, by income
Average yearly cost after grants for aided first-time students paying in-state tuition, by family income (2024-25):
Your own price depends on your family's full situation. Run University of California-San Diego's net price calculator for a personal estimate, or make a "what it costs us" card.
University of California-San Diego graduation rate, earnings and debt
- 86% of first-time, full-time students finished within six years (students who started in 2019).
- Former students earned a median of $96,197 a year, 10 years after they started (students who received federal aid and were working).
- Students who completed left with a median of $13,000 in federal student loans.
Earnings compared
Debt compared
Median debt is 14% of median earnings 10 years after entry. Many advisers suggest keeping total student debt below one year of expected pay. See the monthly payment.
University of California-San Diego majors and what graduates earn
University of California-San Diego awarded bachelor's degrees in 69 fields recently. The best-paid graduates four years out came from computer science ($159,487).
All 69 majors at University of California-San Diego
| Major | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer science | 415 | $109,047 | $159,487 | $14,000 |
| Computer engineering | 207 | $104,513 | $149,139 | $13,000 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 358 | $86,456 | $137,218 | $14,500 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 102 | $90,963 | $123,320 | $18,145 |
| Electrical engineering | 177 | $88,098 | $118,150 | $15,648 |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | 23 | n/a | $111,677 | n/a |
| Mechanical engineering | 180 | $77,655 | $104,229 | $14,000 |
| Aerospace engineering | 88 | $76,064 | $100,173 | $15,000 |
| Biomedical engineering | 126 | $59,527 | $98,687 | $16,500 |
| Chemical engineering | 89 | $70,446 | $96,798 | $16,090 |
| Statistics | 48 | n/a | $96,746 | n/a |
| Physics | 69 | $61,325 | $95,018 | $11,407 |
| Civil engineering | 96 | $69,754 | $91,745 | $17,500 |
| Business analytics and operations research | 444 | $69,142 | $89,451 | $11,001 |
| Engineering, Other | 45 | $64,415 | $88,159 | $16,786 |
| Economics | 255 | $56,525 | $87,307 | $13,599 |
| Applied mathematics | 136 | $43,458 | $85,233 | $13,540 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 413 | $52,280 | $81,174 | $13,000 |
| Cognitive Science | 743 | $46,650 | $81,160 | $13,799 |
| Mathematics | 218 | $54,763 | $79,015 | $15,500 |
| Chemistry | 157 | $55,576 | $77,249 | $13,511 |
| Biochemistry and molecular biology | 183 | $47,239 | $72,491 | $15,500 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 54 | $49,555 | $71,380 | $8,351 |
| Environmental science | 83 | $38,323 | $69,061 | $13,992 |
| Political science | 353 | $40,228 | $67,713 | $12,000 |
| Communication | 244 | $38,629 | $67,302 | $11,556 |
| Public health | 345 | $42,151 | $66,110 | $12,673 |
| Biology | 353 | $34,326 | $64,437 | $13,852 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 57 | $40,840 | $64,428 | $11,855 |
| Research and experimental psychology | 113 | $40,342 | $63,130 | $14,500 |
| Neuroscience | 187 | $35,938 | $61,799 | $12,617 |
| History | 78 | $31,497 | $61,745 | $14,440 |
| Human development and family studies | 55 | $31,391 | $61,262 | $11,779 |
| Music | 22 | $25,949 | $58,071 | $17,000 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | 46 | $27,048 | $57,900 | $12,500 |
| Anthropology | 83 | $32,509 | $56,982 | $13,000 |
| English | 29 | $37,026 | $56,097 | $13,954 |
| Clinical and counseling psychology | 214 | $37,755 | $56,000 | $12,000 |
| Linguistics | 0 | $29,640 | $55,776 | n/a |
| Sociology | 153 | $41,217 | $55,534 | $12,000 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 32 | $40,942 | $53,319 | $17,103 |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology | 146 | $39,836 | $52,701 | $15,000 |
| Psychology | 380 | $34,384 | $51,679 | $11,512 |
| Fine and studio arts | 65 | $23,658 | $48,506 | $14,741 |
| Art and design, general | 64 | $32,584 | $45,915 | $12,000 |
| Theater | 68 | $30,971 | $41,389 | $14,644 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 832 | $42,575 | n/a | $12,000 |
| Computer and information sciences | 239 | $82,223 | n/a | $14,667 |
| Psychology, Other | 159 | $53,416 | n/a | $12,463 |
| Interdisciplinary studies, other | 82 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Real Estate Development | 65 | $55,549 | n/a | $13,760 |
| Education | 56 | $31,163 | n/a | $11,700 |
| Social Sciences, Other | 36 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Graphic and industrial design | 34 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Area Studies | 25 | $22,043 | n/a | n/a |
| Philosophy | 25 | $27,655 | n/a | $10,960 |
| Geology and earth sciences | 22 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 16 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Physical Sciences, Other | 13 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Dance | 12 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Teacher education by subject | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Liberal arts and general studies | 7 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| International relations | 6 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Romance languages | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Engineering Physics | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Environmental engineering | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Religious studies | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Four-year earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Fields with few graduates have no published earnings.
Graduate programs at University of California-San Diego
105 graduate programs awarded degrees recently. Largest first.
Show 105 graduate programs
| Program | Degree | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer science | Master's | 393 | $160,898 | $42,970 |
| Business analytics and operations research | Master's | 288 | $97,051 | $62,155 |
| Electrical engineering | Master's | 190 | $125,176 | $33,236 |
| Medicine | Professional doctorate | 143 | n/a | n/a |
| Biomedical engineering | Master's | 142 | $91,168 | $34,167 |
| Applied mathematics | Master's | 135 | n/a | n/a |
| Biology | Master's | 93 | $54,603 | $20,500 |
| International relations | Master's | 87 | $62,483 | $51,183 |
| Mechanical engineering | Master's | 83 | $112,592 | n/a |
| Computer engineering | Master's | 79 | $157,175 | n/a |
| Data science | Master's | 73 | n/a | n/a |
| Public Policy Analysis | Master's | 67 | $74,578 | $49,847 |
| Pharmacy | Professional doctorate | 66 | n/a | n/a |
| Civil engineering | Master's | 60 | $86,550 | $31,167 |
| Public health | Master's | 60 | $59,542 | $42,217 |
| Chemistry | Master's | 55 | $69,663 | n/a |
| Education | Master's | 54 | $64,454 | $22,790 |
| Biomedical engineering | Doctoral | 54 | n/a | n/a |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology | Master's | 53 | $49,215 | $49,310 |
| Geology and earth sciences | Master's | 49 | $62,077 | $44,759 |
| Biology | Doctoral | 48 | $83,461 | n/a |
| Computer science | Doctoral | 46 | n/a | n/a |
| Chemistry | Doctoral | 43 | $88,202 | n/a |
| Mathematics | Doctoral | 34 | n/a | n/a |
| Pharmacy | Master's | 34 | $109,724 | n/a |
| Engineering, Other | Master's | 33 | $154,120 | n/a |
| Physics | Doctoral | 33 | n/a | n/a |
| Materials Engineering | Doctoral | 31 | n/a | n/a |
| Economics | Doctoral | 26 | n/a | n/a |
| Geology and earth sciences | Doctoral | 24 | n/a | n/a |
| Mathematics | Master's | 23 | n/a | n/a |
| Aerospace engineering | Master's | 22 | n/a | n/a |
| Chemical engineering | Master's | 21 | $88,165 | n/a |
| Electrical engineering | Doctoral | 21 | n/a | n/a |
| Materials Engineering | Master's | 21 | n/a | n/a |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | Master's | 21 | n/a | n/a |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Doctoral | 21 | n/a | n/a |
| Education | Doctoral | 19 | $123,657 | $46,625 |
| Systems Engineering | Master's | 19 | n/a | n/a |
| Economics | Master's | 19 | n/a | n/a |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Master's | 19 | n/a | n/a |
| Computer and information sciences | Master's | 18 | $126,427 | n/a |
| IT and network administration | Master's | 17 | n/a | n/a |
| Theater | Master's | 17 | $40,283 | n/a |
| Biochemistry and molecular biology | Master's | 16 | n/a | n/a |
| Neuroscience | Doctoral | 16 | n/a | n/a |
| Research and experimental psychology | Doctoral | 16 | n/a | n/a |
| Mechanical engineering | Doctoral | 15 | n/a | n/a |
| Computational Science | Master's | 15 | n/a | n/a |
| Physics | Master's | 15 | n/a | n/a |
| Engineering, Other | Doctoral | 13 | n/a | n/a |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology | Doctoral | 13 | n/a | n/a |
| Systems Engineering | Doctoral | 12 | n/a | n/a |
| Political science | Doctoral | 12 | n/a | n/a |
| Music | Doctoral | 12 | n/a | n/a |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Master's | 11 | n/a | n/a |
| Cognitive Science | Doctoral | 11 | n/a | n/a |
| Civil engineering | Doctoral | 10 | n/a | n/a |
| Engineering Science | Master's | 10 | n/a | n/a |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Master's | 10 | n/a | n/a |
| Art and design, general | Master's | 10 | n/a | n/a |
| History | Doctoral | 10 | n/a | n/a |
| Neuroscience | Master's | 9 | n/a | n/a |
| Statistics | Master's | 9 | n/a | n/a |
| Engineering Science | Doctoral | 8 | n/a | n/a |
| Cognitive Science | Master's | 8 | n/a | n/a |
| Philosophy | Doctoral | 8 | n/a | n/a |
| Anthropology | Master's | 8 | n/a | n/a |
| Political science | Master's | 8 | n/a | n/a |
| Area Studies | Master's | 7 | n/a | n/a |
| Public health | Doctoral | 7 | n/a | n/a |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | Doctoral | 6 | n/a | n/a |
| Biochemistry and molecular biology | Doctoral | 6 | n/a | n/a |
| Speech-language pathology | Doctoral | 6 | n/a | n/a |
| Health administration | Master's | 6 | n/a | n/a |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Doctoral | 5 | n/a | n/a |
| Communication | Master's | 5 | n/a | n/a |
| Aerospace engineering | Doctoral | 5 | n/a | n/a |
| Computer engineering | Doctoral | 5 | n/a | n/a |
| Engineering Physics | Master's | 5 | n/a | n/a |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | Master's | 5 | n/a | n/a |
| Sociology | Master's | 5 | n/a | n/a |
| Chemical engineering | Doctoral | 4 | n/a | n/a |
| Research and experimental psychology | Master's | 4 | n/a | n/a |
| Sociology | Doctoral | 4 | n/a | n/a |
| Music | Master's | 4 | n/a | n/a |
| Mental health counseling | Doctoral | 4 | n/a | n/a |
| Business analytics and operations research | Doctoral | 4 | n/a | n/a |
| Communication | Doctoral | 3 | n/a | n/a |
| Engineering Physics | Doctoral | 3 | n/a | n/a |
| Physical Sciences, Other | Doctoral | 3 | n/a | n/a |
| Anthropology | Doctoral | 3 | n/a | n/a |
| Fine and studio arts | Doctoral | 3 | n/a | n/a |
| History | Master's | 3 | n/a | n/a |
| Literature | Doctoral | 2 | n/a | n/a |
| Applied mathematics | Doctoral | 2 | n/a | n/a |
| Theater | Doctoral | 2 | n/a | n/a |
| Education, Other | Doctoral | 1 | n/a | n/a |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | Doctoral | 1 | n/a | n/a |
| Data science | Doctoral | 1 | n/a | n/a |
| Philosophy | Master's | 1 | n/a | n/a |
| Psychology, Other | Doctoral | 1 | n/a | n/a |
| Linguistics | Master's | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Linguistics | Doctoral | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Art and design, general | Doctoral | 0 | n/a | n/a |
Students and location
- 34,948 degree-seeking undergraduates (fall 2024)
- 55% women, 45% men
- 19 students for every faculty member
- Setting: large city
- Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Frequently asked questions
What is the acceptance rate at University of California-San Diego?
University of California-San Diego admitted 27% of applicants for fall 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
How much does University of California-San Diego cost?
Tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $17,337 for in-state students and $54,939 for out-of-state students. After grants and scholarships, aided students paid an average net price of $14,794 a year in 2024-25.
Is University of California-San Diego test-optional?
For fall 2024 admission, University of California-San Diego reported that test scores were: neither required nor recommended. Policies change, so confirm with the admissions office.
What is the graduation rate at University of California-San Diego?
86% of first-time, full-time students finished within six years.
How much do University of California-San Diego graduates make?
Former students who received federal aid earned a median of $96,197 a year 10 years after they started, in 2024 dollars.
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More: all colleges in California · University of California-San Diego on the College Scorecard
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, data release of October 15, 2026. What each figure means and the year it covers.