University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
University of California, San Diego Featured Rankings
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in California 2026
- #3 Public Colleges California
- #6 Grad Schools California 2026
- #6 Research Universities in California 2026
- #6 Best Colleges in California 2026
- #8 Best Value Colleges
- #9 Most Affordable Colleges in the U.S. 2026
- #9 Best Public Colleges
- #9 Best Public Grad Schools
- #12 Education Research Universities
- #13 Most Influential Colleges in Swimming and Diving Today
- #15 The 20 Best Business Schools for Earning an MBA Ranked for Students
- #20 Biology Research Universities
- #28 Best US Universities 2026
- #28 Best Grad Schools 2026
- #65 Best Universities World 2026
About University of California, San Diego
According to Wikipedia, The University of California, San Diego , is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is the southernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California, and offers over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, enrolling 33,096 undergraduate and 9,872 graduate students. The university occupies near the coast of the Pacific Ocean, with the main campus resting on approximately .
University of California, San Diego Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 130,771 | 27% | 94% | 86% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does University of California, San Diego Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $17,337 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $9,229 |
| 30K - 48K | $9,965 |
| 48K - 75K | $12,147 |
| 75K - 110K | $17,235 |
| 110K+ | $32,338 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do University of California, San Diego Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former University of California, San Diego students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $96,197 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
University of California, San Diego's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 44,416 | 35,563 | 8,853 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is University of California, San Diego?
University of California, San Diego is located at 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093.
How Safe is University of California, San Diego?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, University of California, San Diego publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, University of California, San Diego has a violent crime rate of 0.09% and a property crime rate of 1.07%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).
What Is University of California, San Diego Known For?
University of California, San Diego is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Biology
- Psychology
- Earth Sciences
- Computer Science
- Anthropology
- Mathematics
- Engineering
- Economics
- Communications
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Medical
- Literature
- Education
- History
- Business
- Religious Studies
- Social Work
- Law
University of California, San Diego's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much University of California, San Diego's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
University of California, San Diego ranks #14 in the U.S. and #46 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #15 in the U.S. and #56 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #16 in the U.S. and #33 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #17 in the U.S. and #27 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #18 in the U.S. and #71 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #22 in the U.S. and #43 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #22 in the U.S. and #54 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #24 in the U.S. and #79 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #27 in the U.S. and #83 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #31 in the U.S. and #91 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #33 in the U.S. and #108 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #33 in the U.S. and #96 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #35 in the U.S. and #110 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #39 in the U.S. and #123 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #52 in the U.S. and #142 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #54 in the U.S. and #146 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #59 in the U.S. and #190 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #85 in the U.S. and #209 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #86 in the U.S. and #216 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #95 in the U.S. and #413 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #113 in the U.S. and #244 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesUniversity of California, San Diego ranks #122 in the U.S. and #356 worldwide for influence in Law.
Who Are University of California, San Diego's Most Influential Alumni?
University of California, San Diego's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Psychology, Computer Science, and Biology. Here are some of University of California, San Diego's most famous alumni:
- Angela Davis
- An American political activist, scholar, and author.
- Michael I. Jordan
- An American computer scientist, University of California, Berkeley.
- Robert Todd Carroll
- An American philosopher.
- John Grinder
- An American linguist, developer of neuro-linguistic programming.
- Gregory Benford
- A Science fiction author and astrophysicist.
- Jerome Lettvin
- An American psychiatrist.
- Susumu Tonegawa
- A Japanese biologist .
- Mario Testino
- A Peruvian photographer.
- Mike Judge
- An American animator.
- B. Alan Wallace
- An American author, translator, teacher, researcher, interpreter, and Buddhist practitioner.
- Suisheng Zhao
- A Professor of Chinese politics and foreign policy.
- Vernor Vinge
- An American mathematician, computer scientist, and science fiction writer.
Who Are University of California, San Diego's Most Influential Faculty?
University of California, San Diego's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Psychology, Computer Science, and Biology. Here are some of University of California, San Diego's most famous faculty:
- Lera Boroditsky
- An American psychologist.
- Van H. Vu
- A Vietnamese mathematician.
- Jessica Meir
- An American and Swedish marine biologist and astronaut.
- Kiran Kedlaya
- An American mathematician.
- Kathleen Rubins
- A NASA astronaut selected in July 2009.
- Phil S. Baran
- An American chemist.
- James H. Fowler
- An American academic.
- Olga Holtz
- A Russian mathematician.
- Dianna Cowern
- A Science educator and YouTuber, born 1989.
- Ilkay Altintas
- A Turkish-American data and computer scientist.
- Alan M. Leslie
- A British psychologist.
- Daniel Kane
- An American mathematician.
