University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, California · Also known as UCSD UC San Diego · Website
$84,943
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$84,943
median earnings, 10 years after starting
University of California-San Diego is a public 4-year college in La Jolla, California with 34,948 undergraduates and 9,301 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $12,470 a year (tuition and fees $16,758 in-state, $50,958 out-of-state). It admits 27% of applicants and 86% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $84,943 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $15,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$12,470
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$16,758
Out-of-state $50,958
Admission rate
27%
US median 78%
Completion rate
86%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$15,500
About $164 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$84,943
Rank 139 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $12,470
- Tuition in-state
- $16,758
- Tuition out-of-state
- $50,958
- Cost of attendance
- $38,701
- Students with a need-based grant
- 34%
- Students with federal loans
- 21%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $7,525
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $8,155
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $9,942
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $15,199
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $28,785
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $13,530 in 2015-16 to $16,758 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 27%
- Undergraduates
- 34,948
- Graduate students
- 9,301
- Part-time students
- 2.4%
- Women
- 55%
- Students per teacher
- 19
- Completion rate
- 86%
- Retention rate
- 94%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 192
- Endowment
- $1.6B
- Other
- Hispanic-serving
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 139 of 5,094 US colleges and 28 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $12,470 | $20,161 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $16,758 | $8,086 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 27% | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 86% | 64% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 94% | 80% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $15,500 | $11,537 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $65,669 | $36,048 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $84,943 | $41,472 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 82% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 82% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
192 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 749 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Cognitive ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 722 | $17,427 | $39,839 | $81,160 | $81,496 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 518 | $16,166 | $112,006 | $159,487 | $107,009 |
| International/Globalization StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 511 | $15,500 | $45,168 | $81,174 | $59,972 |
| Computer ScienceMaster's | Master's | 499 | $25,903 | $148,262 | $231,397 | $145,571 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 383 | $15,000 | $33,345 | $67,713 | $63,293 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 364 | $14,667 | $51,192 | $87,307 | $82,686 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 350 | $15,446 | $29,144 | $51,679 | $50,706 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 338 | $15,000 | $39,144 | $66,110 | $58,808 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsMaster's | Master's | 323 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $124,807 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 316 | $17,450 | $34,504 | $64,437 | $57,214 |
| Mathematics and Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 299 | $18,887 | $89,651 | $137,218 | $118,943 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 273 | $15,127 | $60,973 | $89,451 | $86,176 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 244 | $13,193 | $33,046 | $67,302 | $56,359 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 239 | $34,311 | $111,009 | $169,987 | $133,654 |
| MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 227 | $16,250 | $52,339 | $79,015 | $69,562 |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 227 | $16,050 | $45,310 | $77,249 | $65,120 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 218 | $15,000 | $26,953 | $56,000 | $50,523 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 207 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 189 | $20,000 | $80,687 | $118,150 | $100,647 |
| Applied MathematicsMaster's | Master's | 185 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $116,060 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 177 | $19,000 | $32,081 | $61,799 | $62,451 |
| Biomedical/Medical EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 175 | $37,282 | $100,166 | $127,935 | $106,375 |
| Computer EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 174 | $18,414 | $96,256 | $149,139 | $109,015 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 150 | $13,000 | $36,464 | $55,534 | $52,657 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does University of California-San Diego cost?
$12,470 a year is the average net price at University of California-San Diego after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $16,758 for in-state students and $50,958 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $38,701. Families earning under $30,000 pay $7,525 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at University of California-San Diego?
27% of applicants are admitted to University of California-San Diego. The median admission rate of colleges in California is 76%.
How much do University of California-San Diego graduates earn?
$84,943 a year is the median pay of former University of California-San Diego students who work, 10 years after they started ($65,669 after 6 years). That ranks 139 of 5,094 US colleges and 28 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Computer Science (Master's) at $148,262.
How much student debt do University of California-San Diego graduates have?
$15,500 is the median federal student loan debt of University of California-San Diego graduates, about $164 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 21% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at University of California-San Diego?
86% of first-time, full-time students at University of California-San Diego finish within 6 years. 94% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at University of California-San Diego?
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences (749 bachelor's graduates), Cognitive Science (722 bachelor's graduates), Computer Science (518 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 192 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.