University of San Diego
University of 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 San Diego Featured Rankings
- #6 Christian Colleges in California
- #8 The Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Master's Degrees
- #10 California's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #13 Private Colleges in California
- #14 Online Master’s in Health Informatics
- #19 Research Universities in California 2026
- #24 Grad Schools California 2026
- #29 Best Colleges in California 2026
- #30 Best Christian Colleges 2026
- #44 Online Master’s in Education
About University of San Diego
According to Wikipedia, The University of San Diego is a private Roman Catholic research university in San Diego, California. Chartered in July 1949 as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University , the two institutions merged in 1972.
University of San Diego's Online Degrees
MS in Cyber Security Operations and Leadership
- Required Credits: 31
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership
- Required Credits: 31
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Curriculum and Instruction
- Required Credits: 37
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Inclusive Learning: Special Education and Universal Design
- Required Credits: 37
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Literacy and Digital Learning
- Required Credits: 37
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MEd in School Leadership
- Required Credits: 37
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics STEAM
- Required Credits: 37
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Health Care Informatics
- Required Credits: 37
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
University of San Diego Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15,953 | 52% | 91% | 81% |
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 San Diego Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $62,420 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $16,814 |
| 30K - 48K | $17,381 |
| 48K - 75K | $21,109 |
| 75K - 110K | $24,962 |
| 110K+ | $52,698 |
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 San Diego Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former University of San Diego students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $93,069 a year, and 93% 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 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10,282 | 6,120 | 4,162 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is University of San Diego?
University of San Diego is located at 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492.
How Safe is University of San Diego?
Relative to its enrollment, University of San Diego has a violent crime rate of 0.09% and a property crime rate of 0.34%. San Diego has a violent crime rate of 0.41% and a property crime rate of 1.69%. 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); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is University of San Diego Known For?
University of San Diego is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Law
- Business
- Sociology
- Nursing
- Criminal Justice
- Economics
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Engineering
- History
- Religious Studies
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Medical
- Education
- Anthropology
- Biology
- Communications
- Social Work
- Psychology
- Physics
- Literature
- Computer Science
University of San Diego's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much University of 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 San Diego ranks #141 in the U.S. and #412 worldwide for influence in Law.
University of San Diego ranks #209 in the U.S. and #663 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #213 in the U.S. and #787 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #223 in the U.S. and #586 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #257 in the U.S. and #458 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #258 in the U.S. and #1304 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #260 in the U.S. and #1044 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #273 in the U.S. and #881 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #284 in the U.S. and #1715 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #288 in the U.S. and #810 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #294 in the U.S. and #1244 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #295 in the U.S. and #1152 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #300 in the U.S. and #1533 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #326 in the U.S. and #1177 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #339 in the U.S. and #1451 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #345 in the U.S. and #1060 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #346 in the U.S. and #1407 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #353 in the U.S. and #1296 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #360 in the U.S. and #913 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #447 in the U.S. and #1147 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #454 in the U.S. and #2076 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #536 in the U.S. and #1637 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesUniversity of San Diego ranks #634 in the U.S. and #2838 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWho Are University of San Diego's Most Influential Alumni?
University of San Diego's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Law, Criminal Justice, and Nursing. Here are some of University of San Diego's most famous alumni:
- Jonny Kim
- An American physician, Navy SEAL, and NASA astronaut candidate.
- Philippa Marrack
- A United States-based English biologist and immunologist.
- Jim Parsons
- An American actor.
- Pat Quinn
- A Canadian ice hockey player.
- Sandra Schmid
- A Canadian biologist.
- Mike Brown
- An American basketball head coach, born 1970.
- Eric Musselman
- An American basketball coach.
- Wendy Mackay
- A Computer Scientist.
- Matthew Brouillette
- An American activist.
- Brian Matusz
- An American baseball player.
- Paul Sewald
- An American professional baseball pitcher.
- Maggie Dixon
- An American basketball player and coach .
Who Are University of San Diego's Most Influential Faculty?
University of San Diego's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Law, Criminal Justice, and Nursing. Here are some of University of San Diego's most famous faculty: