University of California, San Diego

Basic Information

Type Public
Geographical Reach Regional
Population 2,800,000

Weather

Comfortable Days 170 (98% 😎)
Sunshine Hours 3,284 (94% ☀️)
Days Without Precipitation 328 (99% 🏖️)

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 34,861
Men / Women 45% / 55%
From State 78%
From Region 1%
Athletes 563 (1.7%)

Racial/Ethnic

Asian 34%
Hispanic 27%
White 17%
International 11%
Mixed 6%
Black 2%
Native American 0%

Schools & Majors

⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Division of Arts and Humanities 484 32% 30% 20% 3% 31% 4% $49,496 1 -0.23 9 90%
Environmental Studies 68 +4 22% 37% 13% 1% 35% 6% $60,966 67 +0.29 33 93% — 33% — —
Classical Studies 3 +3 0% 67% 0% 0% 33% 0% $53,170 37 -0.37 15 — — 35% — —
History 67 +22 46% 39% 15% 1% 28% 1% $58,289 67 +0.13 26 93% — 35% — —
Interdisciplinary Studies 5 +6 0% 0% 60% 0% 40% 0% $55,232 43 -0.20 19 — — 35% — —
Linguistics — — — — — — — — $58,985 56 +0.08 28 88% — — — —
Literature 63 +3 25% 35% 19% 5% 30% 2% $49,921 42 -0.30 9 88% — 35% — —
Literatures in English 37 +3 14% 32% 11% 3% 32% 0% $48,891 34 -0.43 8 96% — 35% — —
Philosophy 17 +7 47% 12% 24% 0% 41% 12% $31,812 1 -2.23 1 87% — 35% — —
Spanish 3 +3 0% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% $53,342 34 -0.42 15 — — 35% — —
Art History 10 +3 20% 30% 10% 10% 30% 10% $40,059 11 -0.91 3 84% — 35% — —
Dance 5 +3 20% 20% 40% 0% 40% 0% $42,603 46 -0.06 4 — — 35% — —
Music 10 +6 70% 20% 10% 10% 40% 10% $51,085 68 +0.47 11 91% — 35% — —
Speculative Design 34 +6 41% 15% 24% 0% 29% 12% $59,383 50 -0.05 29 — — 35% — —
Theatre and Dance 58 +5 38% 34% 21% 7% 24% 2% $43,063 50 +0.00 4 94% — 35% — —
Visual Arts (Studio) 49 +1 27% 22% 31% 0% 33% 4% $40,059 18 -0.72 3 84% — 35% — —
Visual and Performing Arts 55 +2 38% 22% 27% 2% 27% 5% $40,194 33 -0.38 3 87% — 35% — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Division of Physical Sciences 1,237 58% 16% 35% 1% 13% 26% $94,203 93 +0.06 88 94%
Computer Science & Mathematics 454 +19 72% 10% 43% 1% 7% 30% $117,572 68 -0.11 98 95% — 31% — —
Applied Chemistry 48 — 35% 21% 33% 0% 17% 21% $81,258 88 +0.93 77 98% — 39% — —
Applied Mathematics 93 +11 49% 13% 26% 1% 10% 41% $94,282 36 -0.46 88 90% — 39% — —
Atmospheric Science 10 +1 50% 40% 10% 0% 30% 10% $72,149 83 +0.64 62 — — 39% — —
Biostatistics 5 — 40% 20% 20% 20% 0% 20% $112,874 68 +0.13 97 100% — 33% — —
Chemistry 82 — 39% 15% 49% 0% 22% 10% $81,258 88 +0.93 77 98% — 39% — —
Mathematical Biology 1 — 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% $94,282 36 -0.46 88 90% — — — —
Mathematical Sciences 73 +19 66% 26% 33% 0% 18% 19% $74,396 43 -0.41 66 93% — 39% — —
Mathematics 121 +9 59% 13% 28% 0% 7% 45% $74,396 43 -0.41 66 93% — 39% — —
Physical Sciences 10 — 60% 10% 30% 0% 20% 0% $84,745 60 +0.08 80 — — 39% — —
Physics 40 +2 70% 28% 20% 0% 18% 22% $84,435 57 +0.06 80 92% — 39% — —
Physics 35 — 66% 54% 3% 0% 17% 14% $84,435 57 +0.06 80 92% — 39% — —
Statistics 28 +9 57% 4% 29% 0% 7% 57% $97,867 40 -0.34 90 96% — 39% — —
Biochemistry 224 +5 42% 21% 33% 1% 21% 10% $76,946 71 +0.49 71 94% — 33% — —
Biophysics 1 +1 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $76,946 71 +0.49 71 94% — 33% — —
Molecular Biology — — — — — — — — $76,946 71 +0.49 71 94% — — — —
Mathematics - Secondary Education 12 +1 67% 8% 25% 0% 25% 8% $64,496 90 +0.65 43 — — 31% — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Division of Social Sciences 4,277 38% 22% 31% 2% 24% 13% $70,163 44 +0.18 57 92%
Global Health 114 +28 23% 19% 39% 4% 27% 2% $63,636 48 -0.14 41 95% — 17% — —
Economics 2 — 100% 50% 0% 0% 0% 0% $81,567 29 -0.62 77 87% — 26% — —
Economics 205 +38 67% 20% 21% 1% 13% 38% $81,567 29 -0.62 77 87% — 26% — —
Management Science 619 +26 61% 15% 36% 0% 15% 24% $86,028 78 +0.44 82 94% — 21% — —
Real Estate Development 67 +1 67% 37% 18% 1% 34% 3% $64,630 2 -1.31 43 — — 31% — —
Black Diaspora and African American Studies — +2 — — — — — — $52,063 29 -0.57 13 96% — 26% — —
Chinese Studies 2 +3 50% 50% 0% 0% 0% 0% $30,428 1 -2.29 1 — — 26% — —
Ethnic Studies 13 +25 46% 15% 15% 0% 46% 0% $52,063 29 -0.57 13 96% — 26% — —
Global South Studies 369 +34 46% 19% 33% 1% 21% 18% $77,280 95 +1.44 71 92% — 31% — —
Interdisciplinary Studies 70 +15 46% 20% 29% 1% 27% 11% $59,624 71 +0.22 30 — — 31% — —
Japanese Studies 5 +12 20% 0% 40% 0% 0% 40% $30,428 1 -2.29 1 — — 26% — —
Latin American Studies 5 +2 20% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% $30,428 1 -2.29 1 — — 26% — —
Religion 4 +1 75% 50% 0% 0% 25% 25% $49,973 43 -0.11 9 — — 35% — —
Russian Studies 1 +1 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $30,428 1 -2.29 1 — — 26% — —
Anthropology 34 +10 29% 32% 6% 3% 56% 0% $49,236 17 -0.69 9 88% — 26% — —
Anthropology 27 +1 15% 37% 7% 4% 30% 0% $49,236 17 -0.69 9 88% — 26% — —
Clinical Psychology 208 +13 28% 19% 28% 2% 33% 9% $54,209 48 -0.13 17 94% — 26% — —
Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics 27 — 11% 7% 30% 0% 33% 11% $63,967 64 +0.29 41 91% — 26% — —
Cognitive Science 833 +80 37% 19% 43% 2% 16% 11% $76,105 58 -0.28 69 92% — 31% — —
Communication 234 +25 31% 27% 30% 3% 21% 12% $63,749 60 +0.17 41 94% — 31% — —
Communication 10 — 20% 50% 20% 0% 30% 0% $63,749 60 +0.17 41 94% — — — —
Developmental and Child Psychology 35 +1 9% 23% 11% 0% 40% 14% $63,967 64 +0.29 41 91% — 26% — —
Health/Medical Psychology 54 +4 24% 20% 37% 0% 26% 2% $54,209 48 -0.13 17 94% — 26% — —
Human Development 61 +10 5% 25% 25% 7% 33% 0% $65,420 98 +1.44 45 94% — 26% — —
Human Developmental Sciences 365 +35 19% 29% 24% 1% 28% 8% $57,902 69 +0.43 25 92% — 26% — —
International Studies 16 +1 56% 31% 38% 0% 31% 0% $86,476 92 +0.72 82 92% — 26% — —
Political Science 322 +30 40% 37% 13% 2% 33% 5% $67,338 38 -0.36 50 90% — 26% — —
Political Science 58 +3 34% 22% 28% 3% 29% 7% $67,338 38 -0.36 50 90% — 26% — —
Psychology 165 +11 36% 20% 39% 1% 21% 13% $61,474 85 +0.97 35 92% — 26% — —
Social Psychology 36 — 28% 17% 47% 0% 25% 6% $63,967 64 +0.29 41 91% — 26% — —
Social Sciences 69 +14 19% 17% 20% 3% 51% 3% $52,352 36 -0.41 13 — — 26% — —
Sociology 127 +21 24% 17% 21% 1% 41% 11% $52,053 34 -0.44 13 90% — 26% — —
Education Sciences 61 +10 7% 15% 28% 2% 48% 5% $87,720 100 +3.83 83 92% — 31% — —
Urban Studies and Planning 59 +5 37% 29% 32% 2% 25% 2% $70,657 64 +0.30 59 92% — 26% — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health 231 23% 21% 42% 2% 26% 1% $63,636 22 -0.16 41 95% 17%
Community Health and Preventive Medicine 17 — 12% 18% 47% 0% 35% 0% $63,636 39 -0.33 41 95% — 17% — —
Environmental Health 3 — 33% 67% 0% 0% 0% 0% $63,636 39 -0.33 41 95% — 17% — —
Public Health 164 +8 24% 20% 43% 2% 26% 1% $63,636 48 -0.14 41 95% — 17% — —
Public Health 47 +4 23% 23% 40% 2% 28% 0% $63,636 48 -0.14 41 95% — 17% — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Jacobs School of Engineering 1,807 72% 17% 44% 1% 13% 15% $115,872 98 +0.06 97 96%
Aerospace Engineering 96 — 77% 31% 33% 0% 18% 8% $95,050 13 -0.99 89 94% — 19% — —
Bioengineering 12 — 58% 25% 58% 0% 8% 8% $98,459 52 -0.02 91 100% — 19% — —
Biomedical Engineering 109 +1 45% 19% 47% 3% 10% 9% $89,807 22 -0.76 85 96% — 19% — —
Chemical Engineering 108 +1 55% 17% 41% 2% 26% 8% $89,504 4 -1.64 85 98% — 19% — —
Computer Engineering 208 +2 84% 12% 49% 1% 9% 22% $135,863 88 +0.89 99 97% — 19% — —
Electrical Engineering 168 — 85% 21% 41% 0% 21% 8% $111,821 47 -0.25 96 94% — 19% — —
Engineering 30 — 67% 10% 20% 0% 27% 20% $86,861 13 -0.89 82 93% — 19% — —
Engineering Physics 1 — 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $95,108 22 -0.66 89 — — 19% — —
Environmental Engineering 1 — 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $87,780 66 +0.33 83 — — 19% — —
Mechanical Engineering 248 — 73% 28% 29% 0% 17% 17% $97,598 46 -0.20 90 97% — 19% — —
Structural Engineering 147 — 65% 24% 35% 3% 27% 3% $90,474 39 -0.26 85 97% — 19% — —
Artificial Intelligence — — — — — — — — $104,164 6 -1.16 94 — — — — —
Computer Science 429 — 76% 13% 54% 0% 7% 17% $154,406 84 +0.86 100 96% — 20% — —
Information Technology 250 +5 72% 8% 50% 1% 5% 28% $104,164 68 +0.29 94 — — 20% — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
School of Biological Sciences 1,554 37% 23% 41% 1% 19% 7% $73,017 52 +0.41 63 94% 33%
Bioinformatics 110 — 50% 15% 49% 1% 4% 16% $112,874 100 +3.68 97 100% — 33% — —
Biology 343 — 42% 22% 40% 1% 22% 6% $69,875 68 +0.40 57 94% — 33% — —
Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution 41 — 27% 54% 10% 0% 20% 2% $51,509 31 -0.53 12 96% — 33% — —
Human Biology 585 +4 32% 21% 43% 1% 23% 5% $70,711 51 +0.11 59 — — 33% — —
Microbiology 58 +1 50% 33% 34% 2% 17% 2% $72,233 63 +0.26 62 94% — 33% — —
Molecular and Cell Biology 242 +2 37% 24% 42% 1% 15% 12% $70,711 47 -0.07 59 — — 33% — —
Neuroscience 175 +2 34% 23% 38% 1% 21% 9% $70,327 64 +0.29 58 89% — 33% — —
Animal Physiology — — — — — — — — $55,714 54 +0.11 20 — — 33% — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Scripps Institution of Oceanography 127 33% 46% 19% 1% 21% 5% $54,123 2 -0.24 16 96%
Geosciences 19 — 32% 42% 11% 5% 21% 5% $68,984 71 +0.35 55 — — 39% — —
Marine Biology 108 +2 33% 47% 20% 0% 21% 5% $51,509 40 -0.35 12 96% — 33% — —

Financial

In-State Tuition & Fees $21,017
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees $59,934
Est. In-State Cost $27,188
Est. Out-of-State Cost $77,531
ROI Percentile 76th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 94%
4-Year Graduation Rate 74%
6-Year Graduation Rate 86%
Transfer-Out Rate 4%

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Academics

⇅ % Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn
Social Sciences 27.6% 2,681 31% 24% 30% 2% 26% 9% $65,232 74 -0.01 45 92% —
Life & Natural Sciences 18.3% 1,779 38% 23% 40% 1% 20% 7% $73,515 80 +0.42 64 94% —
Computer Science 11.7% 1,133 73% 11% 49% 1% 6% 24% $128,560 74 +0.35 99 95% —
Engineering 11.6% 1,128 71% 21% 38% 1% 18% 12% $103,812 59 -0.29 93 96% —
Business & Economics 9.2% 893 63% 18% 31% 1% 16% 26% $83,388 60 +0.06 79 92% —
Humanities 6.8% 664 41% 23% 27% 1% 26% 12% $66,202 90 +0.66 47 92% —
Physical Sciences & Math 5.8% 565 53% 20% 29% 1% 14% 28% $82,081 55 +0.01 78 94% —
Health Sciences 3.6% 345 23% 21% 41% 3% 27% 1% $63,636 8 -0.15 41 95% —
Arts 2.9% 280 36% 25% 26% 3% 28% 5% $49,941 43 -0.16 9 90% —
Agriculture & Food Science 1.8% 176 29% 43% 18% 1% 27% 5% $55,163 29 -0.10 19 95% —
Education 0.8% 73 16% 14% 27% 1% 44% 5% $83,902 100 +3.31 80 92% —

Research R1

⇅ Research $ Rank Federal Industry $ PhDs Rank PhD students Postdocs
Health Sciences $1,060M #2 59% $73.3M 20 #90 — 507
Physical Sciences & Math $381M #2 66% $17.2M 139 #5 836 246
Engineering $250M #16 64% $9.2M 181 #12 806 173
Life & Natural Sciences $83.0M #67 65% $0.8M 102 #16 783 216
Humanities & Social Sciences $47.7M #42 41% $0.1M 98 #43 277 31
Education $13.2M #46 36% $0 20 #203 — —
Computer Science $9.6M #95 66% $0 47 #12 407 51
Business & Economics $7.9M #77 24% $0.1M 30 #29 105 2
Agriculture & Food Science $2.1M #129 62% $0 — — — —
Total $1,856M #4 61% $100M 637 #22 3,214 1,226

Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.

Sports NCAA D1

⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Track & Field (combined) 60 $728K $728K $0
Baseball 42 $2.2M $2.2M $0
Rowing 41 $696K $696K $0
Soccer 31 $1.2M $1.2M $0
Water Polo 29 $585K $585K $0
Swimming 26 $352K $352K $0
Volleyball 22 $763K $763K $0
Fencing 18 $228K $228K $0
Basketball 16 $3.6M $3.6M $0
Tennis 12 $400K $400K $0
Golf 11 $507K $507K $0
Total 292 $11.3M $11.3M $0
⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Track & Field (combined) 120 $825K $825K $0
Rowing 47 $660K $660K $0
Soccer 31 $1.3M $1.3M $0
Swimming 26 $494K $494K $0
Softball 25 $1.3M $1.3M $0
Water Polo 24 $779K $779K $0
Fencing 20 $236K $236K $0
Volleyball 20 $1.4M $1.4M $0
Basketball 16 $2.9M $2.9M $0
Tennis 12 $450K $450K $0
Total 271 $10.3M $10.3M $0
⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Track & Field (combined) 180 $1.6M $1.6M $0
Rowing 88 $1.4M $1.4M $0
Soccer 62 $2.5M $2.5M $0
Water Polo 53 $1.4M $1.4M $0
Swimming 52 $846K $846K $0
Baseball 42 $2.2M $2.2M $0
Volleyball 42 $2.2M $2.2M $0
Fencing 38 $465K $465K $0
Basketball 32 $6.5M $6.5M $0
Softball 25 $1.3M $1.3M $0
Tennis 24 $851K $851K $0
Golf 11 $507K $507K $0
Total 563 $36.5M $36.5M $0

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Equity in Athletics Data Analysis. Each team's revenue and expenses are what the college attributes to it. The Total view's totals row is the department's grand total, which also includes money not attributed to any team; the Male and Female totals rows only add up their teams.

Admissions

Uses Common App No
Acceptance Rate 29%
Yield (non-ED) 20%
Regular Decision Jan 1

Acceptance Rates

In-State Out-of-State International
Regular Decision 25% 40% 31%

Standardized Tests

Test Policy blind