University of San Diego
San Diego, California · Also known as USD · Website
$86,522
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$86,522
median earnings, 10 years after starting
University of San Diego is a private nonprofit 4-year college in San Diego, California with 5,671 undergraduates and 3,863 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $30,365 a year (tuition and fees $59,486). It admits 52% of applicants and 84% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $86,522 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $22,940 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$30,365
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$59,486
US median $11,837
Admission rate
52%
US median 78%
Completion rate
84%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$22,940
About $243 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$86,522
Rank 130 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
- $30,365
- Tuition and fees
- $59,486
- Cost of attendance
- $78,720
- Students with a need-based grant
- 21%
- Students with federal loans
- 32%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $15,586
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $17,441
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $19,557
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $27,012
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $46,989
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 $44,586 in 2015-16 to $59,486 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
- 52%
- Undergraduates
- 5,671
- Graduate students
- 3,863
- Part-time students
- 1.5%
- Women
- 56%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 84%
- Retention rate
- 91%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 90
- Endowment
- $714.0M
- Other
- Religious affiliation
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 130 of 5,094 US colleges and 27 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $30,365 | $20,161 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $59,486 | $8,086 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 52% | 76% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 84% | 64% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 91% | 80% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $22,940 | $11,537 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $64,995 | $36,048 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $86,522 | $41,472 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 80% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 83% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
90 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LawProfessional | Professional | 223 | $145,850 | $84,518 | $134,065 | $107,773 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 175 | $23,094 | $64,819 | $93,099 | $83,343 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 162 | $19,899 | $51,056 | $79,678 | $68,257 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 138 | $31,918 | $143,943 | $148,025 | $66,714 |
| Real EstateBachelor's | Bachelor's | 125 | $19,699 | $54,073 | $78,044 | $84,821 |
| Legal Support ServicesOnlineGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 119 | $18,540 | $47,828 | $74,783 | $69,929 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 113 | $48,756 | $105,707 | $163,311 | $103,485 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 111 | $22,500 | $35,595 | $74,178 | $50,706 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's | Master's | 95 | $119,008 | $113,492 | $124,822 | $120,193 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 93 | $20,569 | $56,313 | $83,562 | $69,303 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 92 | $24,000 | $40,776 | $68,913 | $56,359 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 79 | $23,118 | $54,223 | $59,950 | $57,214 |
| Medical Illustration and InformaticsMaster's | Master's | 73 | $48,680 | $95,098 | $104,240 | $101,441 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 71 | $25,344 | $33,040 | $62,301 | $63,293 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 67 | $25,000 | $33,641 | $72,910 | $62,451 |
| Curriculum and InstructionMaster's | Master's | 64 | $44,186 | $57,559 | $68,584 | $63,399 |
| Education, GeneralOnlineMaster's | Master's | 62 | $33,705 | $73,028 | $91,474 | $65,824 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 62 | $26,187 | $77,962 | $91,848 | $92,135 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's | Master's | 59 | $100,657 | $52,463 | $72,038 | $65,184 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementMaster's | Master's | 57 | Withheld | $102,908 | $141,878 | $121,855 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 57 | $24,969 | $69,240 | $109,142 | $76,194 |
| Data ScienceOnlineMaster's | Master's | 56 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Security Science and TechnologyOnlineMaster's | Master's | 56 | $48,077 | $97,944 | $137,533 | $82,399 |
| International BusinessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $19,348 | $48,463 | $85,285 | $73,201 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingProfessional | Professional | 45 | Withheld | Withheld | $145,372 | $133,099 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of San Diego and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does University of San Diego cost?
$30,365 a year is the average net price at University of San Diego after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $59,486, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $78,720. Families earning under $30,000 pay $15,586 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at University of San Diego?
52% of applicants are admitted to University of San Diego. The median admission rate of colleges in California is 76%.
How much do University of San Diego graduates earn?
$86,522 a year is the median pay of former University of San Diego students who work, 10 years after they started ($64,995 after 6 years). That ranks 130 of 5,094 US colleges and 27 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's) at $143,943.
How much student debt do University of San Diego graduates have?
$22,940 is the median federal student loan debt of University of San Diego graduates, about $243 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 32% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at University of San Diego?
84% of first-time, full-time students at University of San Diego finish within 6 years. 91% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at University of San Diego?
Law (223 professional graduates), Finance and Financial Management Services (175 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (162 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 90 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.