UCSD acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
University of California-San Diego · Public · La Jolla, CA · 33,792 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
UCSD admitted 24.5% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 37.5% in 2013. California residents pay $17,337 in tuition and fees for 2025-26; out-of-state students pay $54,939.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
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| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 37.5% | 60,832 | 22,812 |
| 2014 | 33.3% | 73,448 | 24,449 |
| 2015 | 33.7% | 78,061 | 26,335 |
| 2016 | 35.7% | 84,208 | 30,028 |
| 2017 | 34.0% | 88,446 | 30,061 |
| 2018 | 30.1% | 97,894 | 29,428 |
| 2019 | 31.5% | 99,114 | 31,200 |
| 2020 | 36.6% | 100,062 | 36,634 |
| 2021 | 34.2% | 118,386 | 40,493 |
| 2022 | 23.7% | 131,197 | 31,103 |
| 2023 | 24.5% | 130,771 | 32,062 |
Applications went from 60,832 in fall 2013 to 130,771 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $9,229 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $9,965 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,147 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $17,235 |
| Over $110,000 | $32,338 |
| Tuition and fees, in-state (2025-26) | $17,337 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state (2025-26) | $54,939 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $41,664 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $14,794 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid paying the in-state rate, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Similar public colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| UC Irvine CA | 25.6% | $16,235 in-state |
| UCSB CA | 27.8% | $16,989 in-state |
| Cal Poly SLO CA | 29.8% | $15,039 in-state |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
UC San Diego admitted 24.5% of applicants for fall 2023, compared with 37.5% for fall 2013.1 Most of the 13.0-point decline came at once: the rate was 34.2% in fall 2021 and 23.7% in fall 2022.1 Across the decade the rate went down in 5 of the 10 year-to-year changes and rose in the others.1 Applications grew 115% to 130,771 for fall 2023, and UCSD admitted 32,062 students, more than the 22,812 it admitted in 2013.1
Like the rest of the University of California, it is test-blind, so IPEDS reports no SAT or ACT range for fall 2023.1
California residents pay $17,337 in tuition and fees for 2025-26 and out-of-state students pay $54,939.2 The state's 33 public bachelor's colleges have a median net price of $11,583, below UCSD's average of $14,794.2 By income, aided families earning $0 to $30,000 paid $9,229 on average in 2024-25 and families above $110,000 paid $32,338.2
UCSD graduated 86% of its 2019 entrants within 6 years; former students earn a median $96,197 a year 10 years after entering.2 It enrolled 7,005 first-year students from that admitted group.1
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 130,771 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 32,062 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 7,005 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 33,792 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-blind | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $17,337 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $54,939 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_OUT, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $41,664 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $14,794 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $9,229 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $9,965 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,147 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $17,235 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $32,338 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 86% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 94% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 38% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $96,197 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $13,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median average net price, public colleges, California (N = 33) | $11,583 | College Scorecard, median NPT4_PUB, public bachelor's institutions, 2024-252 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with UCSD, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page