University of California at San Diego Rankings, Courses, Fees, Admission 2023 & Scholarships

San Diego, CaliforniaLocation
UniversitySchool type
Estd1960established year
33935enrollment
Public
7.3/10

Why Study in University of California San Diego?

The University of California San Diego or UCSD is a public university established in 1960. UCSD campus is the 7th oldest of the University of California's 10 campuses. Ranked at #53 according to QS Global Rankings, 2023, University of California San Diego offers programs across professional medical schools, different residential colleges, and graduate schools. UC San Diego received more than 140,000 applications for fall 2021, ranking second in the country as the most enrolled school. The university enrols approximately 8,000 graduate students and 30,800 undergraduates each year.

Admission to the University of California, San Diego is highly selective, with an acceptance rate of 38%. Students need a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (~83-86%) to secure admission to UC San Diego. However the average GPA of an accepted student is 3.82 on a 4.0 scale (~92-93%). Also Check: Student Reviews of UCSD.

The average cost of attendance at UC San Diego is around 48 lakhs. This includes a tuition fee of 11.2 lakhs and Supplemental tuition fee of nearly 23 lakhs for international students. California is the most expensive state for accommodation, with an average monthly rent of 1.47 lakhs. Explore: Accommodation at UCSD

University of California San Diego Rankings

The University of California San Diego ranks eighth among U.S. public universities, according to the latest Center for World University Rankings. Some of the other rankings of the university are:

  • #53 in the QS Global World Ranking 2023
  • #34 in National Universities by US News & World Report 2022
  • #8 in Top Public Schools by US News & World Report 2022
  • #180 in Best Value Schools by US News & World Report 2022
  • #34 in World University Rankings in 2022 by Times Higher Education
  • #43 US College Rankings 2022 by Times Higher Education

Following are some of the subject-specific ranking comparison of UC San Diego with few other top universities in USA according to QS Global Rankings, 2022:

Programs UC San Diego Duke University Brown University
Biological Sciences 8 51 155
Life Sciences and Medicine 15 23 132
Economics and Econometrics 19 21 32
Medicine 22 21 35
Electrical and Electronic Engineering 30 17 87

Check: UC San Diego vs University of Southern California

University of California San Diego Campus

University of California San Diego campus houses 761 buildings used as administrative buildings, classrooms, research centers, medical facilities, sports facilities, residential buildings, Laboratories, Libraries, studios, etc.

  • The campus specifically has nine sports facilities, including a 5,000-seat arena, and a state-of-the-art training center for athletes.
  • There are 45 Sorority and Fraternity organizations on campus.
  • 18,500 students on campus are involved in community service yearly.
  • According to Surfer Magazine, it is regarded as one of the most LGBTQ-friendly universities in the United States.
  • The oldest student tradition is the watermelon drop which is a summer physics experiment.

University of California San Diego Accommodation

Housing at University of California San Diego is guaranteed for two years for every fresher who meets application and contract deadlines. Application for housing is FREE and the deadline is May 8. Meal Plan contains flexible options and it is included in the housing contract. Following are the living costs in the university residence: 

Residence Hall Room Type Annual Cost in INR
Triple 10.48 to 12.01 lakhs
Double 11.25 to 12.79 lakhs
Single 12.14 to 13.67 lakhs

The dining cost in the apartments are as follows:  

Apartment Room Type Dining Plan Options
Mini-Double 10.12 to 11.65 lakhs
Triple 10.85 to 12.38 lakhs
Double 11.63 to 13.16 lakhs
Single 12.51 to 14.04 lakhs

Special Housing accommodations are available for students with a disability or medical condition. Transgender community housing is also available in University of California San Diego. The University provides several tools to aid students who wish to stay off-campus to find a suitable and convenient apartment.
Check Here: Off- Campus accommodation in USA.

University of California San Diego Programs

The institute offers a wide range of courses for international students including over 130 undergraduate majors. Popular majors at the university include Computer Science, Biochemistry, Economics, and Molecular Biology. More than 600+ courses from over 40 disciplines are offered in university’s Summer Session

About 22% of Undergraduate students participate in study abroad programs every year. The institute's Extension International Programs offer Certificate Programs in Business, Law, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), and Project Management. It also offers a Paralegal Certificate program that combines paralegal practical skills with legal theory and analysis.

University of California San Diego Application Process

International applicants seeking admission to UC San Diego complete an online application and upload needed papers such as transcripts, declarations of purpose, supplemental information, and department-specific materials. Applicants may apply to more than one program at UC San Diego. However, you can not apply to more than one program within the same department.

Application portal: Undergraduate Portal | Graduate PortalApplication Fee: USD 140
Undergraduate Admission Requirements:

  • Transcript of academic records
  • Personal insight questions
  • SOP
  • LOR
  • Financial documents and bank statements
  • English Language Proficiency Score

Graduate Admission Requirements:

  • A successful bachelor’s degree or equivalent
  • Academic transcripts
  • GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (preferably 3.3 ~87-89%)
  • GRE score
  • 3 LOR
  • English proficiency score
    • TOEFL iBT: 85
    • IELTS: 7.0

University of California San Diego Cost of Attendance

For prospective aspirants of the university enrolling at the upcoming sessional term, an estimated cost of living in US for international students looking to study in the US is as follows:

Also Check: Best student cities in USA

The cost of attendance for graduate programs varies by program. However, the estimated cost is presented below:

Fees Amount (INR)
Student Services Fee 0.86 lakhs
Tuition 8.73 lakhs
University Center Fee 0.23 lakhs
Recreation Facility Fee 0.26 lakhs
GSA Fee 0.03 lakhs
Student Transportation Fee 0.14 lakhs
Health Insurance 2.97 lakhs
Nonresident Supplemental Tuition 11.53 lakhs

University of California San Diego Scholarships

International students applying at the university must note that the institute does not provide awards and scholarships to study in the USA. Some graduate departments award limited funding to international undergraduate and graduate students.

Candidates can apply for some external scholarships not administered by the university. Some such awards are as mentioned below.

  • Rizio Lipinsky Lawyer Scholarship worth 10,000 USD
  • Contevo Digital Marketing Scholarship worth 5,000 USD
  • Blankstyle Scholarship worth 1,000 USD

Also Check:

University of California San Diego Alumni

The alumni network connects over 200,000 members across the globe. The network organizes the UC Alumni Career Network annually on campus. Members of the alumni community are recipients of several international awards like Nobel Prize, MacArthur Genius Grant, Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award, Grammy Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, etc.

Notable Alumni:

  • Arika Sato - Television Personality
  • Nick Woodman - Founder of GoPro
  • Mike Judge - TV Writer

Also Check: Alumni Reviews of UCSD

University of California San Diego Placements

The university organizes career fairs, on-campus branding, and marketing, on-campus interviewing, career engagement opportunities, etc. to help students secure a full-time job. The Career Portal – Handshake helps students develop their resume, explore career options, find an internship or experiential outcome, training opportunity and jobs to boost and improve skill set. The full-time MBA graduates of the university takes pride in employment across institutes like Deloitte, Diversified Solutions Inc., EDF Renewable Energy, BD (Becton Dickinson), Bushfire Kitchen, GeneGoCell, KPMG, H&S Energy, LLC, MatrixCare and others.

Top employers of the institute graduates are Intel, Cisco, VISA, Bloomberg, Apple, Airbnb, Western Digital, American Express, Verizon Media, etc. The best paying degree at University of San Diego is MBA, with alumni earning an average salary of 250,000 USD. Also Check: Job opportunities in USA

The admissions response time varies by department. Decisions are made throughout the year. Some departments include information regarding the status of their decision process on their website. The official notification of admission will come from the Admissions office. Once a decision has been made, an email will be sent to the email address provided in the application. The email will direct you to the decision letter.

Top Recommended Courses


Master of Science [M.S] Computational Science, Mathematics and Engineering

2 years
On Campus
English
Full Time
Exam Scores: TOEFL80|IELTS6.5|PTE65

Master of Science [M.S] Electrical and Computer Engineering

2 years
On Campus
English
Full Time
Exam Scores: TOEFL80|IELTS6.5|PTE65
11 Students Applied

M.S(2 years)
English
Full Time
368 Students Applied
140 Students Admitted

M.B.A(2 years)
English
Full Time
Available Courses
Exams Score
Top specializations

Ph.D Data Science(4 years)
English
Full Time
Available Course
Exams Score
Top specializations

B.Sc Computer Science(4 years)
English
Full Time
Available Course
Exams Score
IELTS7.0|TOEFL83|PTE60
Top specializations

M.Fin(1 year)
English
Full Time
Available Course
Exams Score
TOEFL80|IELTS6.5|PTE65
Offered By
3 Students Applied
3 Students Admitted

M.D(5 years)
English
Full Time
Available Course
Exams Score

University of California comparison

University of CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Washington
Collegedunia Score7.3 Out of 105.9 Out of 107.2 Out of 10
Overall Ranking
  • 28 US News 2024
  • 34 Times Higher Education 2024
  • 62 QS World University 2024
  • 28 US News 2024
  • 74 Times Higher Education 2024
  • 116 QS World University 2024
  • 25 Times Higher Education 2024
  • 40 US News 2024
  • 63 QS World University 2024
Subject Strength
  • 12 for Engineering by US News 2024
  • 21 for Medicine by US News 2024
  • 101 for Law by Academy Ranking of World Universities 2021
  • 15 for Engineering by US News 2024
  • 28 for Medicine by US News 2024
  • 16 for Law by US News 2024
  • 25 for Engineering by US News 2024
  • 13 for Medicine by US News 2024
  • 49 for Law by US News 2024
Programs
  • UG Programs- 22
  • PG Programs - 34
  • Doctorate Programs -5
  • UG Programs- 143
  • PG Programs - 126
  • Doctorate Programs -7
  • UG Programs- 77
  • PG Programs - 59
  • Doctorate Programs -2
Acceptance Rate34.0 %12.9 %45.4 %
Exam Score
Cost to Study
  • Average Tuition Fees:INR 2466309.06 [For UG Program]
  • Average Tuition Fees:INR 2692847.43 [For PG Program]
  • Average Tuition Fees:INR 5260862.52 [For UG Program]
  • Average Tuition Fees:INR 2138147.55 [For PG Program]
  • Hostel + Meal:INR 2746145.7 Per Year
  • Average Tuition Fees:INR 2914985.1699 [For UG Program]
  • Average Tuition Fees:INR 2608796.97 [For PG Program]
  • Hostel + Meal:INR 2230818.57 Per Year
-Read Full ComparisonRead Full Comparison

University of California Ranking

20242023202220212020201920182017

Times Higher Education logo

Overall 34 out of 1600 in Global Ranking

Engineering 41 out of 1374 in Global Ranking
Arts 70 out of 691 in Global Ranking
Humanities 70 out of 691 in Global Ranking
Natural Sciences 24 out of 1059 in Global Ranking

View More >>

Nearest Ranked Colleges

Northwestern University

Ranked 28
Score 83.2

New York University

Ranked 27
Score 83.5

QS World University logo

Overall 62 out of 1401 in Global Ranking

Nearest Ranked Colleges

University of Texas

Ranked 58
Score 71.8

Duke University

Ranked 57
Score 72

University of Washington

Ranked 63
Score 69.2

University of California Ratings

Based on 3 Students Rating

7.3 out of 10
8.7/10Academic
7.7/10Accommodation
7.7/10Faculty
7.7/10Infrastructure
8.3/10Placement
6.0/10Social Life

University of California Reviews


StreamDegree TypeStudent StatusNationalityBatchCourse
Sort By :
Newest First

Engineering (1)
Business (1)
Business Analytics (1)
Civil Engineering (1)
Data Science and Analytics (1)
Sciences (1)
Activity (2)
California (2)
Course (2)
Experience (2)
Faculty (2)
School (2)
Biology (1)
Campus (1)
Division (1)
Government (1)
Housing (1)
Recreation (1)

3 Reviews Found

HA
6.5 /10

"Location - san diego has the best weather Course Curriculum - structured well with lot of electives Job opportunities in California - tech hub Ranking of universities on various websites Alumni database "

Fees:

INR 45 lakhs

academic: 8/10
faculty: 8/10
infrastructure: 9/10
accomodation: 8/10
placement: 6/10

I liked the environment - both physically and academically. Research opportunities here are abundant. Faculty and staff are phenomenal and friendly, yet professional; more so, the has a good reputation in terms of STEM majors which made me choose UCSD.

Fees:

It is broken down into school tuition, housing, and then several other activity fees. Activity fees range from a few dollars to a couple hundred.

academic: 8/10
faculty: 8/10
infrastructure: 6/10
accomodation: 7/10
placement: 9/10
extracurricular: 4/10

M
8.5 /10

It is a reputable STEM school that also specializes in healthcare. It also provides lots of opportunities for my academic career. It is also close to home so it would be easier for me to go home and back.

Fees:

Health insurance, Transportation fee, Maintenance fee, Recreation fee, Athletics fee, College activities fee, Student service fee, University Center fee, College fee, Campus activity fee, Registration fee, Tuition.

academic: 10/10
faculty: 7/10
infrastructure: 8/10
accomodation: 8/10
placement: 10/10
extracurricular: 8/10

University of California Scholarships


NameScholarship Per StudentLevel of StudyType
Deutschland Stipendium ProgramScholarship per student₹ 3.6 L/Yr$4,363Level Of StudyBachelorTypeCollege-Specific
Novus Biological Scholarship ProgramScholarship per student₹ 1.2 L/Yr$1,500Level Of StudyAssociateTypeMerit-Based
JN Tata Endowment ScholarshipScholarship per studentVariable AmountLevel Of StudyDoctorateTypeMerit-Based
Paul Foundation scholarshipsScholarship per student₹ 16.7 L/Yr$20,174Level Of StudyDiplomaTypeMerit-Based
Fulbright-Nehru Masters FellowshipsScholarship per studentVariable AmountLevel Of StudyDoctorateTypeMerit-Based
1st Formations Business ScholarshipScholarship per student₹ 66,312/Yr$800Level Of StudyBachelorTypeMerit-Based

University of California Admissions

  • Regular Decision Deadlines

    Important Date: November30 (Application deadline)

University of California Exam Scores

ExamsAvg. ScoreMin ScoreMax. Score%Submitted'
Language Proficiency
PTE77.56590-
IELTS879-
TOEFL9264120-
Graduate
GRE updated276213340-
GMAT600510690-
Undergraduate
SAT13101210141084
Check Detailed Score
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing640600680-
Mathematics670610730-
ACT30273352
Check Detailed Score
English292533-
Mathematics302733-

Attendance Cost

₹2,466,309

attendance cost

The table shows average yearly cost of attendance for international students. Amount may vary with the course opted, nature of accommodation, and personal spending habits of a candidate.Check Program wise Fees

Tuition fees
Undergraduate Programs
₹2,466,309 / Year
Post Graduate Program
₹2,692,847 / Year
On Campus
Room and Board
₹1,271,201 / Year
Other Living Expenses
₹348,387 / Year
Books and Supplies
₹93,168 / Year

Faculty

Total FacultyFull TimePart TimeGraduate Assistants
2031---

University of California Campus Location


+1-858-534-2230
Telephone
+1-800-207-1710
Toll Free
9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0021
Address

Comments



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A
Anonymous
What is the fee structure for ms in data science in university of california
S
Sinbad Chongtham

The basic cost of attendance, which includes tuition and other fees, for the Master of Advanced Studies in Data Science & Engineering program of the University of California is USD 48,043 for international students.

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