University of San Diego

University of San Diego is a private, religious school in an urban setting in San Diego, California. USD was founded in 1949 and now enrolls around 8,861 students a year, including 5,529 undergrads. USD provides housing for up to 2,500 students. Most students live in off campus housing, and 75% of students spend their weekends on campus .

There are many ways for students to get involved at USD! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of USD's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? USD students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Thinking of pledging? USD has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? USD has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at USD on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at USD on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! December 15, 2022 is the final deadline to submit an application for Fall. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2022 should hear from USD by March 1.

Is USD a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how selective an institution is, but they don't say much about the quality of the education or the student experience. There are a few statistics that can give you a good idea of how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its students.

Let's take a look at all of these areas to get a clearer sense of what USD offers and if it sounds like a good choice for you.

2021 Acceptance Rate for University of San Diego

It is very difficult to get into USD. USD admitted 59% of all applicants in 2021. Out of 13,171 applications received in 2021, 7,731 students were offered admission.

Retention and Graduation Rates at USD

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

About 84% of students who start at USD return for their second year of college. USD's six-year graduation rate for undergrads is 80%. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outlook USD Graduates

Job placement statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers. Within six months of graduating, 94% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

Recent USD grads have an average starting salary of $60,669 a year. The average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year, though these numbers vary widely by major.

USD's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. USD's endowment was valued at $532.2 million in 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million.

Tuition and Financial Aid at USD

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. USD meets 74% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend USD full-time are awarded $41,724 a year in financial aid, on average.

In 2020, students graduated with an average of $28,946 in student loans for each student with debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some financial aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at USD. Based on this information, how does USD sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So ask yourself: Is USD a good school for you?

If University of San Diego seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Exploring Schools?

Choose one of the options below to learn more about USD:

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Then use the college admissions predictor to take a data science look at your chances of getting admitted to some of the top schools in the U.S.

Where is University of San Diego Located?

USD is located in the urban setting of San Diego, California.

If you want to see USD for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 5 to San Diego, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Lindbergh Field.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what USD and San Diego are like without leaving home.

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