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Add up to three schools and toggle the stats you care about. All data comes from each school's official Common Data Set.

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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.

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%
UC Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, 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).
38.2%acceptance rate
Applied
110,187
Admitted
42,093
Enrolled
5,081

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
California resident32.1%
23,972 admitted of 74,659 applicants
Domestic non-resident54.8%
9,237 admitted of 16,870 applicants
International47.7%
8,885 admitted of 18,644 applicants

Early admissions

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

SAT / ACT scores are not used

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

Admissions factors

How UC Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$46,682
In-State
$85,952
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$17,643$56,913
Room & Board
$23,974$23,974
Other Expenses
$5,065$5,065
Total
$46,682$85,952

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$9k
$30–48k~$10k
$48–75k~$13k
$75–110k~$17k
$110k+~$32k

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 grants27.9%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

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

Receiving Aid
44%
Avg. Package
$35,891
Avg. Need Met
82%

Popular majors

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

Social Sciences
Sciences & Math
Psychology
Communication
Engineering & Computing
Other
Social Sci
27%
Sci & Math
23%
Psychology
11%
Comm
9%
Eng & CS
7%
Other
23%

Student-faculty ratio

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

18:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return93%
Graduate within six years84%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$70k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$14k

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

  • Economics

    667 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$98kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$13k median debt
  • Communication & Media Studies

    597 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$73kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$13k median debt
  • Biology

    377 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$65kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Environmental Science & Natural Resources

    331 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$64kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$16k median debt
  • Political Science

    285 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$70kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
Show all 22 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
94%
In Fraternities
N/A
In Sororities
N/A

Place

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

Setting
Midsize suburb
Location
Santa Barbara, CA

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
6441J
6444F
6646M
6848A
6951M
7055J
7358J
7558A
7456S
7351O
6944N
6440D
Precipitation a year
17 in
Days at 90°F or above
3
Days below 32°F
6

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, SANTA BARBARA MUNI AP, CA US station, 0.7 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

42%
58%
Male
9,647
Female
13,227

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White31.3%
Hispanic28.7%
Other19.2%
Asian and Pacific Islander19%
Black1.6%
Native American<1%