More selective than 89% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $38,701. College Scorecard.
Higher than 87% of California colleges we cover and 94% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 87% of California colleges we cover and 95% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of California-San Diego acceptance rate & admissions
Of 130,771 applicants, University of California-San Diego admitted 32,062 and 7,005 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of California-San Diego tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for California residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. At University of California and California State University campuses, the Middle Class Scholarship can also help families with income and assets up to $250,000 (2026-27, dependent students). Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
University of California-San Diego majors, earnings & careers
University of California-San Diego offers 72 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 18
- Humanities & Languages · 14
- Engineering · 13
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 11
- Arts & Design · 7
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Business & Finance · 2
- Education · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of California-San Diego
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $159,487 | $16,550 |
| Computer Engineering | $149,139 | $18,497 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | $137,218 | $18,887 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | $123,320 | $19,724 |
| Electrical Engineering | $118,150 | $20,342 |
| Biological / Biosystems Engineering | $111,677 | $14,933 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $104,229 | $20,000 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $100,173 | $21,305 |
Quick list of all 72 majors
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$100,173
- Anthropology$56,982
- Applied Mathematics$85,233
- Area Studies—
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Biochemistry$72,491
- Biological / Biosystems Engineering$111,677
- Biology$64,437
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology$123,320
- Biomedical Engineering$98,687
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
- Chemical Engineering$96,798
- Chemistry$77,249
- Civil Engineering$91,745
- Classics—
- Cognitive Science$81,160
- Communications$67,302
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering$149,139
- Computer Science$159,487
- Dance—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$52,701
- Economics$87,307
- Education—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering$118,150
- Engineering Physics—
- Engineering Science—
- Engineering, Other$88,159
- English$56,097
- English Language and Literature / Letters, Other$57,900
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$69,061
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$53,319
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History$61,745
- Human Development and Family Studies$61,262
- International / Global Studies$81,174
- International Relations—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics$55,776
- Management Science / Analytics$89,451
- Mathematics$79,015
- Mathematics and Computer Science$137,218
- Mechanical Engineering$104,229
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$64,428
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$58,071
- Neuroscience$61,799
- Philosophy—
- Physical Sciences, Other—
- Physics$95,018
- Political Science$67,713
- Psychology$51,679
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)$56,000
- Psychology (Research)$63,130
- Psychology, Other—
- Public Health$66,110
- Real Estate Development—
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Sociology$55,534
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Statistics$96,746
- Studio Art$48,506
- Theatre$41,389
- Urban Studies / Affairs$71,380
- Visual and Performing Arts$45,915
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other$64,822
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in San Diego
Overall prices in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,823. Housing costs 79% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 12 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (very high); river flooding (very high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, San Diego County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
San Diego County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of California-San Diego with similar schools
Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-San Diego | 27% | $12,470 | 86% | $84,943 | This school |
| University of California-Irvine | 29% | $14,251 | 87% | $80,735 | |
| San Diego State University | 36% | $15,364 | 76% | $64,909 | |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | 31% | $16,665 | 86% | $90,768 | |
| University of California-Davis | 42% | $14,741 | 86% | $80,838 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of California-San Diego would cost you $1,781 less per year than University of California-Irvine, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of California-San Diego, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$1,036).
- University of California-San Diego gives aided families $1,850 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | University of California-San Diego | University of California-Irvine | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $16,758 | $15,722 | +$1,036 |
| Books & supplies | $1,307 | $1,550 | −$243 |
| Housing & meals | $17,198 | $18,423 | −$1,225 |
| Personal & travel | $4,735 | $4,841 | −$106 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,297 | −$1,904 | +$607 |
| Sticker price | $38,701 | $38,632 | +$69 |
| Average grants | −$26,231 | −$24,381 | −$1,850 |
| You pay | $12,470 | $14,251 | −$1,781 |
“+” means University of California-San Diego costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about University of California-San Diego
What is the University of California-San Diego acceptance rate?
University of California-San Diego accepts 27% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 32,062 of 130,771 applicants were admitted.
How much does University of California-San Diego cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $38,701 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,470 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $7,525 and families earning $110k+ pay $28,785.
How much do University of California-San Diego graduates earn?
Former University of California-San Diego students earn a median $84,943 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of California-San Diego graduation rate?
86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 94% return for their second year.
Is University of California-San Diego the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of California-San Diego: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-san-diego (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).