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.