San Diego State University vs. University of California, San Diego

A side-by-side comparison of San Diego State and UC San Diego — acceptance rates (37.4% vs. 28.6%), tuition, financial aid, and majors, drawn from each school's official Common Data Set.

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San Diego StateSan Diego, CA

Acceptance rate

Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.

37.4%acceptance rate
Applied
95,444
Admitted
35,709
Enrolled
6,911

Early admissions

San Diego State does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Not offered
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

San Diego State is test-free — SAT and ACT scores are not considered in admissions.

SAT / ACT scores are not used

San Diego State does not review SAT or ACT scores for admission, even if you submit them. Applicants are evaluated on GPA, coursework, essays, and activities instead.

Class rank

Where San Diego State's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class25%
Top quarter of class66%
Top half of class95%

Based on the 29% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. San Diego State does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How San Diego State weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from San Diego State's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$36,314
In-State
$50,444
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$9,662$23,792
Room & Board
$21,856$21,856
Other Expenses
$4,796$4,796
Total
$36,314$50,444

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$10k
$30–48k~$10k
$48–75k~$13k
$75–110k~$16k
$110k+~$24k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants31.7%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
39%
Avg. Package
$17,270
Avg. Need Met
73%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Psychology
Social Sciences
Engineering
Communication
Computer Science
Health Professions
Other
Business
24%
Psychology
8%
Social Sci
8%
Engineering
7%
Comms
7%
CompSci
6%
Health
6%
Other
34%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

24:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return91%
Graduate within six years78%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$68k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$15k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

San Diego State’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Business Administration & Management

    2,156 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$70kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Psychology

    669 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$51kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Criminal Justice

    542 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$58kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$13k median debt
  • Kinesiology & Exercise Science

    405 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$60kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Communication & Media Studies

    300 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$61kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
Show all 31 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
71%
In Fraternities
14%
In Sororities
15%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Large city
Location
San Diego, CA

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
6943J
6944F
7148M
7551A
7656M
8159J
8663J
8965A
8762S
8156O
7547N
6942D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
12 in
Days at 90°F or above
57
Days below 32°F
3

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, EL CAJON, CA US station, 8.5 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

43%
57%
Male
15,158
Female
20,123

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

Hispanic37.1%
White32.6%
Other13.6%
Asian and Pacific Islander13.2%
Black3.4%
Native American<1%
UC San DiegoLa Jolla, CA

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

UC Info CenterIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from UC Info Center (Fall 2025).
28.6%acceptance rate
Applied
136,750
Admitted
39,054
Enrolled
7,801

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
California resident24.6%
21,542 admitted of 87,574 applicants
Domestic non-resident39.2%
9,771 admitted of 24,929 applicants
International29.5%
7,144 admitted of 24,224 applicants

Early admissions

UC San Diego does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Not offered
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

UC San Diego is test-free — SAT and ACT scores are not considered in admissions.

SAT / ACT scores are not used

UC San Diego does not review SAT or ACT scores for admission, even if you submit them. Applicants are evaluated on GPA, coursework, essays, and activities instead.

Class rank

UC San Diego does not report this.

Not reported

Admissions factors

How UC San Diego weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from UC San Diego's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$46,059
In-State
$83,661
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$20,892$58,494
Room & Board
$20,319$20,319
Other Expenses
$4,848$4,848
Total
$46,059$83,661

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$8k
$30–48k~$8k
$48–75k~$10k
$75–110k~$15k
$110k+~$29k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants34.2%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

2024–25 CDSUC San Diego's 2025-2026 Common Data Set hasn't published this section yet, so this figure is shown from the 2024-2025 edition instead.
Receiving Aid
52%
Avg. Package
$30,932
Avg. Need Met
82%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Sciences
Engineering & Computing
Social Sciences
Interdisciplinary
Business
Other
Sciences
25%
Eng & CS
19%
Social Sci
18%
Interdisc.
17%
Business
7%
Other
14%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

2024–25 CDSUC San Diego's 2025-2026 Common Data Set hasn't published this section yet, so this figure is shown from the 2024-2025 edition instead.
19:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return95%
Graduate within six years86%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$83k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$16k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

UC San Diego’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Computer Science

    415 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$159kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$16k median debt
  • Biology

    351 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$64kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt
  • Psychology

    351 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$52kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Public Health

    317 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$66kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Political Science

    314 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$68kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
Show all 31 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
86%
In Fraternities
8%
In Sororities
7%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Large city
Location
La Jolla, CA

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
6649J
6651F
6753M
6855A
6959M
7162J
7465J
7767A
7765S
7560O
7154N
6649D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
9 in
Days at 90°F or above
4
Days below 32°F
0

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NORTH ISLAND NAS, CA US station, 12.5 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

45%
55%
Male
15,757
Female
18,916

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

Asian and Pacific Islander34.7%
Hispanic26.8%
Other20.9%
White16%
Black1.6%
Native American<1%

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San Diego State vs. UC San Diego: frequently asked questions

UC San Diego is more selective: it admits about 28.6% of applicants, compared with 37.4% at San Diego State. Both are competitive, and your odds depend on far more than the overall rate.

San Diego State has the lower published price for out-of-state students — $23,792 in tuition and fees versus $58,494 at UC San Diego, a gap of about $34,702 a year before financial aid.

UC San Diego graduates a higher share of its students within six years — 86% versus 78% at San Diego State.

UC San Diego, and only there. UC San Diego's Common Data Set rates the application essay very important, while San Diego State reports that it does not consider the essay at all — so an application there rests on grades, course rigor, and test scores.

Source: San Diego State University Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-11. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with San Diego State. Banner photo by Stuart Seeger, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).

Source: University of California, San Diego Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-06. Student-Faculty Ratio, % of Full-Time First-Years Awarded Need-Based Grant Aid, Average Aid Package, Students With Need Who Received Aid, and Average % of Need Met, Students With Need Who Received Aid are from the 2024-2025 edition. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with UC San Diego. Banner photo by Stephen Bay, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).