More selective than 67% 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 $78,720. College Scorecard.
Higher than 83% of California colleges we cover and 92% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 88% of California colleges we cover and 95% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
USD acceptance rate & admissions
Of 15,953 applicants, University of San Diego admitted 7,458 and 1,245 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
USD tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (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. Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
USD majors, earnings & careers
University of San Diego offers 43 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Engineering · 5
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at USD
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $149,847 | $19,719 |
| Electrical Engineering | $110,314 | $29,276 |
| Accounting | $109,142 | $24,969 |
| Finance | $93,099 | $23,508 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $91,848 | $26,093 |
| International Business | $85,285 | $19,197 |
| Marketing | $83,562 | $21,375 |
| Biochemistry | $83,380 | $27,500 |
Quick list of all 43 majors
- Accounting$109,142
- Anthropology—
- Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry$83,380
- Biology$59,950
- Business Administration$79,678
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$68,913
- Computer Science$149,847
- Data Analytics—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Educational Administration and Supervision—
- Electrical Engineering$110,314
- Engineering—
- English$68,752
- Environmental Science / Conservation$58,517
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance$93,099
- History—
- Industrial Engineering—
- International Business$85,285
- International Relations$61,509
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$54,474
- Marketing$83,562
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$91,848
- Music—
- Neuroscience$72,910
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$62,301
- Psychology$74,178
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Real Estate$78,044
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology$54,338
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— 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 →Finance → Financial analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% 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 USD with similar schools
Similar private 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 San Diego | 52% | $30,365 | 84% | $86,522 | This school |
| Santa Clara University | 48% | $50,062 | 88% | $109,183 | |
| Loyola Marymount University | 45% | $48,381 | 79% | $78,349 | |
| University of San Francisco | 62% | $41,431 | 70% | $89,812 | |
| Pepperdine University | 63% | $58,098 | 83% | $82,939 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of San Diego would cost you $19,697 less per year than Santa Clara University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at University of San Diego, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$1,807).
- University of San Diego gives aided families $16,391 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | USD | SCU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $59,486 | $61,293 | −$1,807 |
| Books & supplies | $938 | $939 | −$1 |
| Housing & meals | $18,084 | $18,984 | −$900 |
| Personal & travel | $3,978 | $3,978 | $0 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,766 | −$3,168 | −$598 |
| Sticker price | $78,720 | $82,026 | −$3,306 |
| Average grants | −$48,355 | −$31,964 | −$16,391 |
| You pay | $30,365 | $50,062 | −$19,697 |
“+” means USD 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 USD
What is the USD acceptance rate?
University of San Diego accepts 52% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 7,458 of 15,953 applicants were admitted.
How much does University of San Diego cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $78,720 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $30,365 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,586 and families earning $110k+ pay $46,989.
How much do USD graduates earn?
Former University of San Diego students earn a median $86,522 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the USD graduation rate?
84% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 91% return for their second year.
Is USD 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 San Diego: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-san-diego (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).