University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego is a public research university in the coastal La Jolla area of San Diego, known for its strength in the biological sciences, oceanography through the Scripps Institution, and engineering, as well as its distinctive system of residential undergraduate colleges. Admission is selective — roughly 29% of more than 136,000 first-year applicants are admitted — and like all University of California campuses, UC San Diego is test-free, reviewing applications without SAT or ACT scores. Its roughly 35,000 undergraduates report an average high school GPA near 3.88, with biology the single most popular field of study. The figures below are drawn directly from UC San Diego's official Common Data Set.
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UC San Diego admissions statistics
Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admittedEarly Admissions
UC San Diego does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.
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.
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.
Out-of-state students pay $37,602 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Frequently asked questions about UC San Diego admissions
What GPA do you need to get into UC San Diego?＋
Admitted first-year students at UC San Diego report an average high school GPA of about 3.88. There is no fixed cutoff, but because UC San Diego is test-free, the rigor of your high school record and your academic GPA are the two factors weighed most heavily in admission.
What is UC San Diego's acceptance rate?＋
UC San Diego admitted about 28.6% of first-year applicants in the most recent cycle, drawing roughly 136,750 applications, admitting around 39,054 students, and enrolling about 7,801. Admission is more competitive for out-of-state and international applicants than the overall rate suggests.
Is it hard to get into UC San Diego from out of state?＋
Counterintuitively, out-of-state domestic applicants are admitted at a higher rate than California residents. In Fall 2025, UC San Diego admitted 39.2% of domestic non-residents (9,771 of 24,929) versus 24.6% of California residents (21,542 of 87,574). International applicants fell in between at 29.5%. The smaller out-of-state pool self-selects — fewer non-residents apply, so those who do tend to be stronger overall. The low out-of-state enrollment share (about 12%) reflects the size of that applicant pool, not a harder path to admission.
Does UC San Diego require the SAT or ACT?＋
No. UC San Diego is test-blind: it does not accept or consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if you submit them. Standardized test scores are formally listed as 'not considered' in the school's own admission factors, so your application is reviewed entirely without them.
What does UC San Diego look for if it doesn't use test scores?＋
With test scores not considered, UC San Diego leans on the rest of the application. It rates rigor of high school record, academic GPA, the application essay, and character/personal qualities as very important, with extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and state residency rated important. A specific, well-revised essay is one of the few places a strong applicant can stand out.
What are the most popular majors at UC San Diego?＋
The biological and life sciences are the single most popular area at about 20% of bachelor's degrees. The sciences overall account for roughly a quarter of students, followed by engineering and computer science (about 19%), the social sciences (about 18%), and a large interdisciplinary share (about 17%), with business rounding out the most common fields.
How much does UC San Diego cost in-state vs. out-of-state?＋
Annual tuition and required fees run about $20,892 for California residents and $58,494 for out-of-state and international students, with on-campus food and housing adding roughly $20,300 per year. About 52% of first-years receive need-based aid, the average aid package is near $30,932, and UC San Diego meets roughly 82% of demonstrated need on average.
Does UC San Diego have Early Decision or Early Action?＋
No. UC San Diego does not offer Early Decision, Early Action, or a restrictive early plan. Like all University of California campuses, it has a single application round, so every first-year applicant applies on the same regular timeline.
Source: University of California, San Diego Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-06. Student-Faculty Ratio, % Receiving Need-Based Aid, Avg. Aid Package, and Avg. % Need Met 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).