Basic Information
Type
Public
Geographical Reach
Regional
Location
La Jolla, CA
Population
2,800,000
Website
http://www.ucsd.edu/
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
1.9%
Racial/Ethnic
Asian
34%
Hispanic
27%
White
17%
International
11%
Mixed
6%
Black
2%
Native American
0%
Men in the Entering Class
Men
Entering Class by Race & Ethnicity
Native
Asian
Black
Hispanic
White
International
Share of the full-time first-time degree-seeking cohort. Groups IPEDS reports separately — two or more races, and race unknown — are left out, so the lines don't sum to 100%.
Enrolled Undergraduates by Race & Ethnicity
Native
Asian
Black
Hispanic
White
International
Share of all full-time degree-seeking undergraduates, not just the entering class. Same excluded groups as above.
IPEDS Admissions (2011–2024), Graduation Rates (2011–2024) and 12-month Enrollment (2020–2025) surveys. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line.
Schools & Majors
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division of Arts and Humanities | 484 | 32% / 68% | 4% | $48,298 | 10 | 91% | |
| Environmental Studies | 68 +4 | 22% / 78% | 6% | $65,836 | 56 | 100% | |
| Classical Studies | 3 +3 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $50,212 | 13 | — | |
| History | 67 +22 | 46% / 54% | 1% | $53,863 | 21 | 93% | |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | 5 +6 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $51,163 | 15 | — | |
| Linguistics | — — | — | — | $46,913 | 9 | — | |
| Literature | 63 +3 | 25% / 75% | 2% | $44,374 | 6 | 92% | |
| Literatures in English | 37 +3 | 14% / 86% | 0% | $48,891 | 11 | 96% | |
| Philosophy | 17 +7 | 47% / 53% | 12% | $31,812 | 2 | 87% | |
| Spanish | 3 +3 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $49,794 | 13 | — | |
| Art History | 10 +3 | 20% / 80% | 10% | $40,059 | 4 | 84% | |
| Dance | 5 +3 | 20% / 80% | 0% | $41,041 | 4 | — | |
| Music | 10 +6 | 70% / 30% | 10% | $39,250 | 3 | 92% | |
| Speculative Design | 34 +6 | 41% / 59% | 12% | $67,813 | 60 | — | |
| Theatre and Dance | 58 +5 | 38% / 62% | 2% | $35,061 | 2 | 93% | |
| Visual Arts (Studio) | 49 +1 | 27% / 73% | 4% | $40,059 | 4 | 84% | |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 55 +2 | 38% / 62% | 5% | $41,621 | 4 | 83% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division of Physical Sciences | 1,237 | 58% / 42% | 26% | $88,164 | 87 | 93% | |
| Mathematics - Computer Science | 454 +19 | 72% / 28% | 30% | $119,593 | 99 | 100% | |
| Applied Chemistry | 48 — | 35% / 65% | 21% | $74,057 | 72 | 92% | |
| Applied Mathematics | 93 +11 | 49% / 51% | 41% | $70,887 | 67 | 88% | |
| Atmospheric Science | 10 +1 | 50% / 50% | 10% | $63,249 | 49 | — | |
| Biostatistics | 5 — | 40% / 60% | 20% | $123,023 | 99 | 100% | |
| Chemistry | 82 — | 39% / 61% | 10% | $74,057 | 72 | 92% | |
| Mathematical Biology | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | — | — | — | |
| Mathematical Sciences | 73 +19 | 66% / 34% | 19% | $62,659 | 47 | 89% | |
| Mathematics | 121 +9 | 59% / 41% | 45% | $62,659 | 47 | 89% | |
| Physical Sciences | 10 — | 60% / 40% | 0% | $77,595 | 77 | — | |
| Physics | 40 +2 | 70% / 30% | 22% | $75,070 | 74 | 80% | |
| Physics | 35 — | 66% / 34% | 14% | $75,070 | 74 | 80% | |
| Statistics | 28 +9 | 57% / 43% | 57% | $84,319 | 84 | 100% | |
| Biochemistry | 224 +5 | 42% / 58% | 10% | $68,409 | 62 | 87% | |
| Biophysics | 1 +1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $68,409 | 62 | 87% | |
| Molecular Biology | — — | — | — | $68,409 | 62 | — | |
| Mathematics - Secondary Education | 12 +1 | 67% / 33% | 8% | $74,510 | 73 | — |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division of Social Sciences | 4,277 | 38% / 62% | 13% | $66,041 | 56 | 92% | |
| Global Health | 114 +28 | 23% / 77% | 2% | $59,677 | 38 | 94% | |
| Economics | 2 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $74,809 | 74 | 90% | |
| Economics | 205 +38 | 67% / 33% | 38% | $74,809 | 74 | 90% | |
| Management Science | 18 — | 56% / 44% | 39% | $76,483 | 76 | 93% | |
| Management Science | 601 +26 | 61% / 39% | 24% | $76,483 | 76 | 93% | |
| Real Estate Development | 67 +1 | 67% / 33% | 3% | $84,170 | 84 | — | |
| Anthropology | 27 +1 | 15% / 85% | 0% | $47,531 | 10 | 87% | |
| Anthropology | 34 +10 | 29% / 71% | 0% | $47,531 | 10 | 87% | |
| Black Diaspora and African American Studies | — +2 | — | — | $53,180 | 20 | 86% | |
| Chinese Studies | 2 +3 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $52,623 | 18 | — | |
| Clinical Psychology | 208 +13 | 28% / 72% | 9% | $56,239 | 28 | 94% | |
| Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics | 27 — | 11% / 89% | 11% | $62,452 | 46 | 94% | |
| Cognitive Science | 833 +80 | 37% / 63% | 11% | $75,735 | 75 | 90% | |
| Communication | 10 — | 20% / 80% | 0% | — | — | — | |
| Communication | 234 +25 | 31% / 69% | 12% | $58,128 | 34 | 91% | |
| Developmental and Child Psychology | 35 +1 | 9% / 91% | 14% | $62,452 | 46 | 94% | |
| Ethnic Studies | 13 +25 | 46% / 54% | 0% | $53,180 | 20 | 86% | |
| Global South Studies | 369 +34 | 46% / 54% | 18% | $65,602 | 55 | 90% | |
| Health/Medical Psychology | 54 +4 | 24% / 76% | 2% | $56,239 | 28 | 94% | |
| Human Development | 61 +10 | 5% / 95% | 0% | $56,333 | 28 | 98% | |
| Human Developmental Sciences | 365 +35 | 19% / 81% | 8% | $50,613 | 14 | 93% | |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | 70 +15 | 46% / 54% | 11% | $55,241 | 25 | — | |
| International Studies | 16 +1 | 56% / 44% | 0% | $86,476 | 86 | 92% | |
| Japanese Studies | 5 +12 | 20% / 80% | 40% | $52,603 | 18 | — | |
| Latin American Studies | 5 +2 | 20% / 80% | 0% | $52,766 | 19 | — | |
| Political Science | 58 +3 | 34% / 66% | 7% | $62,206 | 46 | 91% | |
| Political Science | 322 +30 | 40% / 60% | 5% | $62,206 | 46 | 91% | |
| Psychology | 165 +11 | 36% / 64% | 13% | $61,474 | 44 | 92% | |
| Religion | 4 +1 | 75% / 25% | 25% | $44,216 | 6 | — | |
| Russian Studies | 1 +1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $52,320 | 18 | — | |
| Social Psychology | 36 — | 28% / 72% | 6% | $62,452 | 46 | 94% | |
| Social Sciences | 69 +14 | 19% / 81% | 3% | $50,393 | 14 | — | |
| Sociology | 127 +21 | 24% / 76% | 11% | $53,571 | 21 | 93% | |
| Education Sciences | 61 +10 | 7% / 93% | 5% | $87,720 | 87 | 92% | |
| Urban Studies and Planning | 59 +5 | 37% / 63% | 2% | $63,594 | 50 | 100% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health | 231 | 23% / 77% | 1% | $59,677 | 38 | 94% | |
| Community Health and Preventive Medicine | 17 — | 12% / 88% | 0% | $59,677 | 38 | 94% | |
| Environmental Health | 3 — | 33% / 67% | 0% | $59,677 | 38 | 94% | |
| Public Health | 164 +8 | 24% / 76% | 1% | $59,677 | 38 | 94% | |
| Public Health | 47 +4 | 23% / 77% | 0% | $59,677 | 38 | 94% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacobs School of Engineering | 1,807 | 72% / 28% | 15% | $110,530 | 98 | 95% | |
| Aerospace Engineering | 96 — | 77% / 23% | 8% | $95,478 | 92 | 94% | |
| Bioengineering | 12 — | 58% / 42% | 8% | $97,332 | 93 | 100% | |
| Biomedical Engineering | 109 +1 | 45% / 55% | 9% | $105,411 | 96 | 96% | |
| Chemical Engineering | 108 +1 | 55% / 45% | 8% | $87,076 | 87 | 94% | |
| Computer Engineering | 208 +2 | 84% / 16% | 22% | $137,401 | 100 | 97% | |
| Electrical Engineering | 168 — | 85% / 15% | 8% | $107,108 | 97 | 94% | |
| Engineering | 30 — | 67% / 33% | 20% | $83,857 | 84 | 93% | |
| Engineering Physics | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $105,260 | 96 | — | |
| Environmental Engineering | 1 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $85,062 | 85 | — | |
| Mechanical Engineering | 248 — | 73% / 27% | 17% | $88,537 | 88 | 96% | |
| Structural Engineering | 147 — | 65% / 35% | 3% | $81,805 | 82 | 97% | |
| Artificial Intelligence | — — | — | — | $125,932 | 99 | — | |
| Computer Science | 429 — | 76% / 24% | 17% | $142,705 | 100 | 94% | |
| Information Technology | 250 +5 | 72% / 28% | 28% | $96,076 | 92 | — |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Biological Sciences | 1,554 | 37% / 63% | 7% | $69,180 | 63 | 92% | |
| Bioinformatics | 110 — | 50% / 50% | 16% | $123,023 | 99 | 100% | |
| Biology | 343 — | 42% / 58% | 6% | $61,703 | 44 | 87% | |
| Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution | 41 — | 27% / 73% | 2% | $49,374 | 12 | 96% | |
| Human Biology | 585 +4 | 32% / 68% | 5% | $66,411 | 57 | — | |
| Microbiology | 58 +1 | 50% / 50% | 2% | $56,152 | 28 | 97% | |
| Molecular and Cell Biology | 242 +2 | 37% / 63% | 12% | $73,800 | 72 | — | |
| Neurobiology and Anatomy | 3 — | 33% / 67% | 0% | $61,822 | 45 | — | |
| Neuroscience | 172 +2 | 34% / 66% | 9% | $61,822 | 45 | 94% | |
| Animal Physiology | — — | — | — | $49,776 | 13 | — |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Institution of Oceanography | 127 | 33% / 67% | 5% | $51,294 | 15 | 96% | |
| Geosciences | 19 — | 32% / 68% | 5% | $62,208 | 46 | — | |
| Marine Biology | 108 +2 | 33% / 67% | 5% | $49,374 | 12 | 96% |
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%
Six-Year Graduation Rate
Graduated
Students finishing within 150% of normal time. Each year labels the cohort that entered six years earlier — 2024 tracks the class that started in 2018.
Six-Year Graduation Rate by Gender
Men
Women
IPEDS reports the cohort as men and women only.
Six-Year Graduation Rate by Race & Ethnicity
Asian
Hispanic
White
International
Each group's completers over its own share of the entering cohort. Groups making up less than 2% of everyone this college graduated over the period are left off — their rates swing on a handful of students and read as noise.
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey, 2011–2024. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line.
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/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.4% | 3,345 | 33% / 67% | 9% | $61,990 | 45 | 91% | ||
| Life & Natural Sciences | 18.3% | 1,779 | 38% / 62% | 7% | $69,083 | 63 | 91% | |
| Computer Science | 11.7% | 1,133 | 73% / 27% | 24% | $123,155 | 99 | 97% | |
| Engineering | 11.6% | 1,128 | 71% / 29% | 12% | $101,498 | 95 | 96% | |
| Business & Economics | 9.2% | 893 | 63% / 37% | 26% | $76,672 | 76 | 92% | |
| Physical Sciences & Math | 5.8% | 565 | 53% / 47% | 28% | $70,164 | 65 | 89% | |
| Health Sciences | 3.6% | 345 | 23% / 77% | 1% | $59,677 | 38 | 94% | |
| Arts | 2.9% | 280 | 36% / 64% | 5% | $47,648 | 10 | 90% | |
| Agriculture & Food Science | 1.8% | 176 | 29% / 71% | 5% | $55,734 | 27 | 97% | |
| Education | 0.8% | 73 | 16% / 84% | 5% | $85,548 | 85 | 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 |
| $47.7M | #42 | 41% | $0.1M | 98 | #43 | 277 | 31 | |
| Education | $13.2M | #46 | 36% | $0 | 20 | #204 | — | — |
| 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.
Admissions
Uses Common App
No
Acceptance Rate
29%
Yield (Unbound)
20%
Regular Decision
Jan 1
Acceptance Rates
| In-State | Out-of-State | International | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Decision | 25% | 40% | 31% |
Acceptance & Yield
Acceptance
Yield
Applicants, Admitted & Enrolled
Applicants
Admitted
Enrolled
IPEDS Admissions survey, 2011–2024. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line.
Standardized Tests
Test Policy
blind
SAT Composite
25th
75th
SAT Math
25th
75th
SAT Reading & Writing
25th
75th
Submitting a Test Score
Submitted
IPEDS Admissions survey, 2011–2024. Years a college didn't file leave a gap in the line. Test-score submission adds SAT and ACT submitters, capped at 100% — a student can send both.
Rankings
Fun and Games
Ski Bums and Surf Bros
Top Recreation
Surf
My Tribe
Tiger Mom Heaven
Most Asian-Americans
Significant Presence
Engineering
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
Resistance Is Futile
Computer Engineering
Segfault Survivors & Kernel Panickers
Resistance Is Not Futile
Electrical Engineering
Dangerously Grounded
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
Computer Science
Chat-GPT? Claude? I can do better.
Artificial Intelligence
AI is the New CS
No, I Can't Fix Your Printer
Computer Science (Eng)
LeetCode Grinders
import pandas as pd
Data Science
The Tech Bro Pipeline
Physical Sciences & Math
Breaking Bad
Chemistry
Mega-Lab Multiverse
Rocks and Whales
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Plate Tectonics Elite
The "I Understand Interstellar" Elite
Physics & Astronomy
Our Labs Have Labs (The Experimentalists)
No Words Allowed
Pure Mathematics
Theorem Crafters
Life & Natural Sciences
Pre-Med Reject Waiting Room
Biology
Darwin's Favorites
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
Agriculture & Food Science
Doomsday Prepping with Data
Environmental Science
Ecosystem Engineers
Puppies Over People
Zoology & Veterinary Sciences
Overqualified Scuba Divers (Marine Biology)
Health Sciences
Legal Drug Dealers
Pharmacy
Prescription Perfectionists
Talk About a Career
Phonoaudiology
Hearing Heroes
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
I Think, Therefore I Major
Cognitive Science
Silicon Valley Overlords
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
Professional Yapping
Media & Communication Studies
Solidly Upper-Middle-Class Comm Degrees
The "Why Are We Here?" Support Group
Philosophy & Ethics
The Questioners
Feelings, But With Error Bars
Research & Experimental Psychology
P-Hacking Paranoiacs
I Want To Understand Myself
Psychology
Biological Reductionists
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