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University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA

Tuition

$16,758

Acceptance

27%

Students

42,371

Type

University

Setting

Urban

Distance from home

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Cost & Financial Aid

In-State Tuition

$16,758

Out-of-State Tuition

$50,958

Avg On-Campus Living

$18,970

Avg Off-Campus Living

$18,404

Financial Aid & Outcomes

CollegeScorecard · 2024

What will it actually cost?

Sticker price$35,728
Net price (after aid)$12,470

Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.

Net price by family income

$0 – $30k$7,525
$30k – $48k$8,155
$48k – $75k$9,942
$75k – $110k$15,199
$110k+$28,785

After graduation

Median earnings (10yr)$84,943
Median debt at graduation$15,500
Est. monthly loan payment$164

Earnings-to-debt ratio

Strong · 5.5×

Graduates earn about 5.5× their median debt every year.

Financial access

Students on Pell Grants34%

Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.

Students with federal loans21%

Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.

Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.

How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.

Student Outcomes

Graduation Rate

86%

Freshman Retention

94%

Source: CollegeScorecard (2024)

Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.

Scholarships available

Decision support · Cost & value

Quick Decision Highlights

The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.

Value signal

Lower net price

After typical aid, families pay below the national average.

This school$12.5k
National avg$18.5k
Source: CollegeScorecard 2024

Strong aid for lower incomes

Reported net price for the $0–30k band runs below average.

Strong post-grad earnings

$84.9k above avg

Manageable graduate debt

$15.5k below avg

Affordability snapshot

In-state tuition

$16.8k

Out-of-state

$51k

Net price

$12.5k

below avg

Pell

34%

Median debt

$15.5k

below avg

Earnings (10y)

$84.9k

above avg

“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.

Admissions

Acceptance rate

27%

SAT range

1192 - 1422

ACT range

27 - 35

Actions

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Location

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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school

Institution does not report this

La Jolla, CA 92093

Academics

Studying online: a small share study entirely online

In Fall 2023, 310 of University of California-San Diego's 42,376 students (1%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 7,676 (18%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.

Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.

U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023

Fields of study

University of California-San Diego reported conferring credentials in 84 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.

Campus & Student Life

Area Safety Rating

Similar schools

Frequently asked questions

About University of California-San Diego

Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.

Where is University of California-San Diego located?
University of California-San Diego is located in La Jolla, CA, in the United States.
What type of institution is University of California-San Diego?
University of California-San Diego is a public university based in CA. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
What is the acceptance rate at University of California-San Diego?
The most recently reported acceptance rate at University of California-San Diego is approximately 27%. Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
What is the tuition at University of California-San Diego?
University of California-San Diego's published in-state tuition is approximately $16,758 per year. This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
How many students attend University of California-San Diego?
University of California-San Diego reports total enrollment of approximately 42,371 students (undergraduate plus graduate). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
How much does University of California-San Diego actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of California-San Diego is approximately $12,470 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $7,525 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $28,785. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
What is the graduation rate at University of California-San Diego?
University of California-San Diego reports a graduation rate of approximately 86%. This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
How much student debt do graduates of University of California-San Diego have?
Students who borrowed at University of California-San Diego left with a median of approximately $15,500 in federal loans, and about 21% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
How much do graduates of University of California-San Diego earn?
Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $84,943 for students who received federal financial aid at University of California-San Diego. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
How should I verify final details about University of California-San Diego?
CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with University of California-San Diego.

Fields this college awarded credentials in

The 14 largest of 84 fields University of California-San Diego reported, by credentials conferred in 2023-24, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.

Fields University of California-San Diego reported conferring credentials in during 2023-24, with the number awarded and the highest credential level.
FieldAwardedLevel
Computer Science854Graduate439 graduate · 415 bachelor's
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences832Bachelor's
Cognitive Science762Graduate19 graduate · 743 bachelor's
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods736Graduate292 graduate · 444 bachelor's
Biology, General494Graduate141 graduate · 353 bachelor's
International/Globalization Studies413Bachelor's
Public Health412Graduate67 graduate · 345 bachelor's
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering388Graduate211 graduate · 177 bachelor's
Psychology, General380Bachelor's
Political Science and Government373Graduate20 graduate · 353 bachelor's
Mathematics and Computer Science358Bachelor's
Biomedical/Medical Engineering322Graduate196 graduate · 126 bachelor's
Economics300Graduate45 graduate · 255 bachelor's
Computer Engineering291Graduate84 graduate · 207 bachelor's

Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.

Data sources & methodology

Reporting period: 2024Last verified: June 10, 2026

Facts on this profile of University of California-San Diego are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Suggested citation

CampusPin. (2024). University of California-San Diego, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/university-of-california-san-diego

About this information

CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.

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