University of California, San Diego

University of California, San Diego is a public, state school located in the suburban setting of La Jolla, CA, less than an hour from San Diego.

Founded in 1959, the institution currently enrolls around 39,037 students a year, including 31,842 undergrads. The institution runs on a quarter academic calendar.

UC San Diego's endowment was valued at $1,910,000,000 in 2021. The school spends $29,069 for each full-time student enrolled.

2021 Admissions Facts About UC San Diego

Acceptance rate: 38%

Average GPA: 4.09

Does not offer early decision.

Doesn't offer early action.

Get ready! The 2022 regular decision application deadline for UC San Diego is November 30

All regular decision applicants should hear back March 31.

Access ACT practice tests and study tips and see upcoming ACT test dates.

What's the acceptance rate at University of California, San Diego in 2021?

UC San Diego is a very difficult school to get accepted to. Around 38 percent of all applicants to UC San Diego are accepted each year. Last year, 100,073 students applied to UC San Diego and 38,325 were admitted.

Admitted students have an average high school GPA of 4.09 out of 4.0.

In 2021, 19,714 applicants were waitlisted and 5,282 waitlisted students got accepted.

Is UC San Diego a good school?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how selective an institution is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are.

Retention, graduation rates, and job placement statistics can help you understand how satisfied students are with their school experience, and how effectively an institution prepares students for careers.

Retention and graduation rates

About 94 percent of students who start at UC San Diego come back the next year. Out of the 4,913 students who started at UC San Diego as first-time freshman, 3,352 graduate within four years.

UC San Diego's six-year graduation for undergrads is 87 percent. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61 percent for public schools and 67 percent for private.

Job outcomes and student debt

Job placement rates after graduation, average starting salaries, and the debt students graduate with can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school. Graduates in the class of 2021 had an average of $19,969 in student loans per borrower. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

Based on this information, how does UC San Diego sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So the real question to ask yourself: is UC San Diego a good school for YOU?

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November 31 is the final deadline to submit an application for next Fall. All applicants will be notified by March 31.

Read on to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

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