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University of California, San Diego

Basic Information

Type Public
Location La Jolla, CA
Population 2,800,000
Map of the United States

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 33,787
Men / Women 45% / 55%
Asian 32%
Hispanic 23%
White 18%
International 11%
Mixed 9%
Black 1%
Native American 0%

Academics

Undergraduate Degrees
Humanities & Social Sciences 34%
Engineering, Computing & Math 27%
Life & Natural Sciences 27%
Business & Economics 8%
Arts 3%
Education 1%

Financial

In-State Tuition & Fees $20,505
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees $58,107
Est. In-State Cost $26,525
Est. Out-of-State Cost $75,167
10-Year ROI $303,000
ROI Percentile 98th

Retention & Graduation

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

Weather

Comfortable Days 170 (98th pctl)
Sunshine Hours 3,284 (94th pctl)
Days Without Precipitation 328 (99th pctl)
Muggyness Nice

Admissions

Acceptance Rate 24%
Yield (Unbound) 20%
Regular Decision Jan 1

Research

Research Level R1
Expenditure
Life & Natural Sciences $1,521M #3
Engineering, Computing & Math $267M #19
Humanities & Social Sciences $46M #33
Graduate Degrees
Engineering, Computing & Math 263 #12
Life & Natural Sciences 434 #63
Humanities & Social Sciences 145 #161

Honors College

Standardized Tests — Test Blind

Schools & Majors

Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
Division of Arts and Humanities 472 37% / 63% 9% $46,152
Environmental Studies 79 +4 30% / 70% 9% $65,512
Classical Studies 3 0% / 100% 33%
History 65 +13 54% / 46% 6% $53,598
Interdisciplinary Studies 7 14% / 86% 29%
Linguistics
Literature 42 +4 17% / 83% 0% $44,156
Literatures in English 27 +2 22% / 78% 4%
Philosophy 18 +7 78% / 22% 6%
Spanish 3 33% / 67% 0%
Art History 12 +3 8% / 92% 25% $39,862
Dance 3 +9 33% / 67% 0%
Music 14 +8 57% / 43% 7% $39,057
Speculative Design 31 +3 39% / 61% 10%
Theatre and Dance 64 +4 38% / 62% 5% $29,113
Visual Arts (Studio) 43 +7 30% / 70% 12% $39,862
Visual and Performing Arts 61 +3 48% / 52% 21% $39,698
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
Division of Physical Sciences 1,123 62% / 38% 29% $71,291
Applied Mathematics 116 +20 59% / 41% 49% $70,538
Biostatistics 1 +1 0% / 100% 0% $122,417
Mathematical Sciences 66 +15 70% / 30% 32% $62,350
Mathematics 128 +9 59% / 41% 52% $62,350
Mathematics - Computer Science 338 +20 80% / 20% 30%
Physical Sciences 11 +2 64% / 36% 9%
Physics 29 +2 83% / 17% 45% $105,096
Physics 38 68% / 32% 13% $105,096
Statistics 42 +6 52% / 48% 50%
Applied Chemistry 65 +1 52% / 48% 22% $71,808
Atmospheric Science 16 56% / 44% 0%
Biochemistry 174 +5 45% / 55% 7% $68,073
Biophysics 4 25% / 75% 25% $68,073
Chemistry 88 +3 36% / 64% 7% $71,808
Molecular Biology
Mathematics - Secondary Education 7 43% / 57% 0%
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
Division of Social Sciences 3,741 41% / 59% 16% $67,695
Global Health 96 +21 21% / 79% 4% $59,383
Economics 223 +30 72% / 28% 41% $109,004
Economics 2 100% / 0% 0% $109,004
Management Science 33 +2 58% / 42% 45% $76,106
Management Science 396 +13 58% / 42% 33% $76,106
Real Estate Development 64 +1 73% / 27% 3%
Anthropology 50 +5 36% / 64% 6% $47,296
Anthropology 23 +5 22% / 78% 4% $47,296
Black Diaspora and African American Studies 1 +2 100% / 0% 0% $52,918
Chinese Studies 1 +1 0% / 100% 0%
Clinical Psychology 158 +9 23% / 77% 8% $55,962
Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics 29 +1 24% / 76% 7% $62,144
Cognitive Science 689 +54 42% / 58% 13% $75,362
Communication 220 +24 36% / 64% 18% $57,842
Developmental and Child Psychology 42 +1 5% / 95% 7% $62,144
Ethnic Studies 15 +14 27% / 73% 7% $52,918
Global South Studies 384 +29 51% / 49% 21% $65,279
Health/Medical Psychology 44 +3 18% / 82% 2% $55,962
Human Development 52 +3 4% / 96% 0% $56,056
Human Developmental Sciences 351 +29 24% / 76% 9% $50,364
Interdisciplinary Studies 72 +10 44% / 56% 10%
International Studies 6 67% / 33% 0% $86,050
Japanese Studies 7 +6 43% / 57% 0%
Latin American Studies 4 +2 25% / 75% 0%
Political Science 46 +1 52% / 48% 2% $61,900
Political Science 268 +38 43% / 57% 6% $61,900
Psychology 147 +12 39% / 61% 18%
Religion 1 +1 100% / 0% 0%
Russian Studies 2 +1 100% / 0% 0%
Social Psychology 39 +1 21% / 79% 23% $62,144
Social Sciences 36 19% / 81% 0%
Sociology 138 +15 27% / 73% 14% $53,307
Education Sciences 52 +4 19% / 81% 12% $87,288
Urban Studies and Planning 50 +4 52% / 48% 12% $63,281
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health 221 24% / 76% 1% $59,383
Community Health and Preventive Medicine 22 9% / 91% 0% $59,383
Environmental Health 2 100% / 0% 0% $59,383
Public Health 55 18% / 82% 2% $59,383
Public Health 142 +7 28% / 72% 1% $59,383
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
Jacobs School of Engineering 1,682 74% / 26% 16% $138,367
Aerospace Engineering 88 74% / 26% 5% $95,008
Artificial Intelligence
Bioengineering 22 +1 41% / 59% 0%
Biomedical Engineering 126 53% / 47% 14% $116,585
Chemical Engineering 89 58% / 42% 16% $86,647
Computer Engineering 207 89% / 11% 25% $159,561
Computer Science 415 80% / 20% 20% $204,258
Electrical Engineering 176 +1 85% / 15% 14% $115,908
Engineering 45 69% / 31% 13% $83,444
Engineering Physics 2 100% / 0% 0%
Environmental Engineering 2 50% / 50% 0%
Information Technology 234 +5 64% / 36% 24%
Mechanical Engineering 180 74% / 26% 9% $88,101
Structural Engineering 96 68% / 32% 2% $85,292
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
School of Biological Sciences 1,567 37% / 63% 7% $76,247
Animal Physiology 1 0% / 100% 0%
Bioinformatics 98 +2 58% / 42% 21% $122,417
Biology 351 +2 38% / 62% 7% $74,006
Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution 46 +1 28% / 72% 4% $54,223
Human Biology 600 +1 30% / 70% 3%
Microbiology 57 54% / 46% 5%
Molecular and Cell Biology 229 +2 38% / 62% 10%
Neurobiology and Anatomy
Neuroscience 185 +2 39% / 61% 11% $61,518
Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
Scripps Institution of Oceanography 117 36% / 64% 7% $54,223
Geosciences 21 +1 48% / 52% 5%
Marine Biology 96 +3 33% / 67% 7% $54,223

Rankings

Fun and Games

Ski Bums and Surf Bros Top Recreation
Surf

My Tribe

Tiger Mom Heaven Most Asian-Americans
Significant Presence

Engineering, Computing & Math

Chat-GPT? Claude? I can do better. Artificial Intelligence
AI is the New CS
No, I Can't Fix Your Printer Computer Science
LeetCode Sweatshops
import pandas as pd Data Science
The Tech Bro Pipeline
The "I Understand Interstellar" Elite Physics & Astronomy
Quantum Leap
No Words Allowed Pure Mathematics
Theorem Crafters
It Actually IS Rocket Science Aerospace Engineering
Wind Tunnel Wizards
Pre-Med Hidding in Plain Sight Biomedical Engineering
Cutting Edge
It's Not About Molecules, It's About Pipes Chemical Engineering
White-Collar Drug Lords
Playing House Civil Engineering
Bridge Builders
Half-CS, Half-EE, Full Depression Computer Engineering
Firmware Gods
Resistance Is Not Futile Electrical Engineering
Dangerously Grounded
Regular Engineering Just Wasn't Hurting My Brain Enough Engineering Physics
Too Nerdy for the Engineers, Too Practical for the Physicists
Hugging Trees with Calculus Environmental Engineering
Watershed Wizards
Is It a Solid? Is It a Liquid? Yes. Materials Engineering
Crystal Clear Leaders
WD-40 & Duct Tape Mechanical Engineering & Robotics
Mad Scientists' Machine Shop
We Glow In The Dark Nuclear Engineering
Glow in the Dark

Life & Natural Sciences

Pre-Med Reject Waiting Room Biology
Darwin's Favorites
Breaking Bad Chemistry
Mega-Lab Multiverse
Rocks and Whales Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Plate Tectonics Elite
Doomsday Prepping with Data Environmental Science
Ecosystem Engineers
Memorizing 206 Bones Human Biology
The Cadaver Club
Lord of the Petri Dish Microbiology & Immunology
Antibody Avengers
Staring at a Gel Electrophoresis Until Our Eyes Bleed Molecular Biology & Genomics
Helix Heavyweights
Action Potentials Neuroscience
Huberman Lab Disciples
Legal Drug Dealers Pharmacy
Prescription Perfectionists
Talk About a Career Phonoaudiology
Hearing Heroes
Puppies Over People Zoology & Veterinary Sciences
Overqualified Scuba Divers (Marine Biology)

Business & Economics

PowerPoint Presentation Power Rankings Business Administration
Tech Incubators
Pivot Tables & Missing Pallets Business Analytics
SQL Slingers
It's Basic Supply and Demand, Bro Economics
Math Masochists & Stata Sorcerers

Humanities & Social Sciences

Professional Yapping Communication & Journalism
Solidly Upper-Middle-Class Comm Degrees
Much Ado About Nothing English, Literature & Writing
Page Turners
Saving the Planet, One Policy at a Time Environmental Policy & Sustainability
Sustainability Wonks
Model UN Generation Government & Politics
Policy Wonks
Hindsight is 20/20 (And So is My Salary) History & Archaeology
The Time Travelers
Passport Stamp Collectors International Relations
Foreign Service Bound
The "Why Are We Here?" Support Group Philosophy & Ethics
The Questioners
I Want To Understand Myself Psychology
Synapse Snobs
Decolonizing the Curriculum Regional & Ethnic Studies
Cultural Cartographers
Everything is a Construct Sociology & Anthropology
Survey Says
Grammar Police Academy World Languages & Linguistics
Syntax Scholars

Education

Surviving PTA Karens General Education
Classroom Ready
Show Your Work, Then Teach It STEM Education
Math Whisperers

Arts

Sleep Deprivation by Design Architecture
Building Blocks
Lights, Camera, Tuition Film
Streaming Service Bound
Theatre Kid Generation Performing Arts
Encore Worthy