REQUIREMENTS AND CAMPUS GUIDE
University of California, San Diego
Founded in 1960, the University of California, San Diego is the southernmost of the ten University of California campuses. The founders had one criterion for the campus: it must be distinctive. UCSD is now recognized as one of the top 15 research universities worldwide. Today, UCSD’s 2,178-acre campus consists of twelve undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools and seven undergraduate residential colleges. Here is everything you need to know about UCSD!
REQUIREMENTS AND CAMPUS GUIDE
University of
California, San Diego
Founded in 1960, the University of California, San Diego is the southernmost of the ten University of California campuses. The founders had one criterion for the campus: it must be distinctive. UCSD is now recognized as one of the top 15 research universities worldwide. Today, UCSD’s 2,178-acre campus consists of twelve undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools and seven undergraduate residential colleges. Here is everything you need to know about UCSD!
REQUIREMENTS AND CAMPUS GUIDE
University of California, San Diego
Founded in 1960, the University of California, San Diego is the southernmost of the ten University of California campuses. The founders had one criterion for the campus: it must be distinctive. UCSD is now recognized as one of the top 15 research universities worldwide. Today, UCSD’s 2,178-acre campus consists of twelve undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools and seven undergraduate residential colleges. Here is everything you need to know about UCSD!
School Location:
SAN DIEGO, CA
School Type:
PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
Admissions Rates:
ADMITTED: 24.76%
GENERAL INFO
Dates/Deadlines:
Regular Deadline:
November 30
Regular Results: March 19
SAT/ACT Scores:
Test Blind for the 2024-2025
Admissions Cycle
School Information:
Undergraduate Population: 37,289
Faculty Ratio: 26:1
Interviews Considered: No
UCSD TIPS & GUIDE
How difficult is it to get into UCSD?
Despite its status as a high ranking public institution, UCSD is not the most competitive of the UC campuses. Of the 130,845 students who applied for admission to the class of 2027, 32,403 were admitted, yielding a 24,76% acceptance rate. As such, UCSD can be considered a match school by most applicants creating their balanced college lists. UCSD considers rigor of high school coursework, GPA, and application essays to be very important in the admissions process. Extracurricular activities, talent, character, volunteer work, and residency are also considered important.
What is the campus like at UCSD?
Located along the Southern California coast in La Jolla, natural reserves make up about 889 acres of the campus. Whether it be hiking at Torrey Pines, studying on the beach, or exploring downtown San Diego, students take advantage of San Diego’s Mediterranean climate with 300+ days of sunshine and an average temperature of 77° year-round. San Diego County is also home to thousands of businesses, from tech start-ups to large corporations, offering students endless opportunities for professional development.
UCSD has a unique College System in which first year students are assigned to one of eight colleges, each with its own general education curriculum, support services, neighborhood, and traditions. Students are free to pursue their major of choice from any of the eight colleges.
There are over 500 student clubs and organizations and 23 varsity sports teams at UCSD. Students can get involved in areas such as community service, the Pepband, student government, or the KSDT Radio. There are also six community gardens where students can grow their own organic vegetables and herbs and nine sports facilities for students to get active. Over 2,500 students join Greek life as members of one of UCSD’s 24 fraternities, 21 sororities, and 16 culture-based Greek Letter Organizations.
What is UCSD known for?
UCSD boasts of being one of the world’s leading public research universities that attracts “bold thinkers and creative achievers – the disassemblers of the everyday who come here to ‘Break Things Better.’” The University has an unique College System featuring tight communities, attentive advisors, and inspiring amenities. In 2023, UCSD was ranked as the #3 Best Public College by Forbes and as the #6 Best Public School by the U.S. News and World Report.
How diverse is UCSD?
Of the 33,792 students enrolled at UCSD in the fall of 2023, 3,986 or 11.80% were international, 8,537 or 25.26% were Hispanic or Latino, 606 were Black of African American, 6,141 were or 18.17% were white, 28 were American Indian or Alaska Native, 11,598 or 34.32% were Asian, 23 were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 2,143 or 6.34% were of two or more races.
How do I apply to UCSD?
In order to apply to UCSD, you must apply through the University of California (UC) admissions portal. Applicants use the portal to submit one application to several UCs of their choice. In fact, admissions encourages students to apply to several UCs in order to increase their likelihood of admission into at least one. Applications to the UC schools are due by November 30th every year.
Prospective applicants must meet certain eligibility requirements in order to apply to the UC schools. Those who reside in California must have a 3.0 or above GPA, and non-residents must have a 3.4 or above. Students must also complete a minimum of 15 college preparatory courses (11 by the end of their junior year), called A-G requirements. Letters correspond to subject matter. Applicants should check the UC website to determine whether their high school coursework fulfills the requirements.
Students must submit their demographic information, an activities list, and essays in response to 4 personal insight questions (PIQs) which they may choose from 8 prompts.
Once applicants input their demographic information, complete their activities list, and input their essays, they can select the UC campuses they are interested in applying to and the different majors they’d want to study at each campus. Applicants can also select alternate majors they’d want to study in case they do not get to study the first major of their choice. Some campuses or majors may require supplemental materials or applications. Applicants to UCSD majors in the Arts (Music, Theatre, Dance, Visual Arts) have the option to submit a portfolio or audition.
UCSD applicants must also rank their top choice colleges as part of their application, indicating their preference for college assignment should they be offered admission to San Diego. Applicants can use this practice ranking tool in order to prepare their ranking selection.
Does UCSD have a good athletic department?
While the UCSD Tritons competed in the NCAA Division II for a number of years, the school began a transition to Division I in 2020 (with the exception of the men’s volleyball, men’s and women’s water polo, and men’s and women’s fencing programs, which compete at the NCAA “National Collegiate” level) and plays in the Big West Conference. The school has 23 intercollegiate sports teams; 11 women’s teams and 12 men’s teams.
Can I afford UCSD?
For the 2024-2025 school year, the estimated cost of attendance for first year in-state students living on campus is $42,639. The cost for first year out-of-state students living on campus is $76,839. Note that estimated cost of attendance varies by cohort. Undergraduate students can also expect to receive some type of financial assistance from a wide variety of programs including Federal, State, UC, and outside sources in the form of loans, grants, work-study, and scholarships. This includes need and non-need students. UCSD also offers merit scholarships and restricted scholarships for first-year students. You can use UCSD’s Financial Aid Net Price Calculator to estimate your financial aid estimate, here.
