

University of California, San Diego (UCSD): Rankings, Cost, Programs, Placements
1200 acre campus
- Estd. 1960
UC San Diego Popular Courses
UC San Diego Programs
The University of California San Diego offers 140+ UG majors. Also, several graduate programs are offered by this university through its various schools such as the School of Arts & Humanities; Rady School of Management; School of Social Sciences; School of Arts & Humanities, etc. The top UG majors at this university are Psychology; Biology; Economics; Mathematics and Cognitive Science. Among Indian students, UCSD popular courses are MSc in CS, MSc in Data Science, and MBA. Some of the courses studied by UC San Diego alumni are Economics; Computer Science; Psychology; Biology; Computational Science; Biochemistry; Political Science and Government, etc.

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Commonly asked questions On Popular Programs
According to the statistics of UCSD, the top 5 majors at the UG level are Biology, Psychology, Mathematics, Economics, and Cognitive Science. According to the student population, the most popular UG study field is Social Sciences. Some of the popular study fields are given below:
- Engineering
- Biology
- Arts and Humanities
- Physical Sciences
There are 12 divisions and schools at UCSD. This university offers 140+ UG majors. A number of graduate programs are offered by UCSD through various schools such as School of Arts & Humanities; Rady School of Management; School of Social Sciences; School of Arts & Humanities, etc. Among international students, the popular courses of this university are MSc in CS, MSc in Data Science, MBA, etc.
MBA course at UC San Diego prepares students to lead with confidence and develop the in-demand analytical and leadership skills that are required by employers. Also, the MBA course is a STEM-designated course. Furthermore, Rady School of Management at UC San Diego provides exciting experiential learning opportunities working directly with the top San Diego area companies. For the Class of 2023, a total of 72.4% of graduates received offers within months of graduation. The average salary of the MBA graduates is USD 126,634. The university ranks at #2 for the Best B-School for Entrepreneurship MBA 2023-24 rankings as per Bloomberg Businessweek. In California, this university ranks at #8 position in California (Full-time MBA ranking) as per a top-ranking publisher Best Business Schools category for 2024-25.
Admissions to the Computer Science Engineering course of University of California San Diego is selective. The department received over 6,000 applications. For the Fall term, 877 students registered. The university seeks applicants with a strong academic background in Computer Science and Engineering and / or related field and a demonstrated potential for success in Graduate schools. Each component of the application is reviewed by the Admission Committee. To be considered for UCSD admission, make sure to meet the entry requirements. A Bachelor's degree in CS, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Mathematics is preferred. A GPA of 3.0 is required. GRE score is not required.
UC San DiegoUC San Diego Scholarships
Freshmen international students of the University of California San Diego are eligible to receive the merit-based scholarships. To avail for these scholarships, the applicants are required to fill out the specific scholarship form. The details of these scholarships for freshmen students are given below:
UCSD Regent’s Scholarship is based on academic excellence. The first-year Regents Scholars receive a USD 20,000 scholarship paid at USD 5,000 per year in each of their 4 UG years. All graduates of the UCSD campus are also eligible for the Rady-Funded UC Fellowship (School of Management) in the amount of USD 10,000. The Foster MBA Fellowship is for students who have shown commitment to the region and their industry through contributions to the organization and the potential to make an impact. Every UG merit-based scholarship has different criteria, so it is advised to check the official website.
UC San Diego Admissions 2025
The University of California San Diego applicants can apply via the university portal. A general admission process is given below:
Application Deadlines 2024
For graduate courses, the UCSD application deadline may vary. However, the deadlines for UG applicants are given below:
Particulars |
Application Timeline |
---|---|
Application opens |
Oct 1, 2024 |
Application deadline |
Dec 2, 2024 |
Admission Requirements for International Students
To take admission to UCSD, the UG applicants should have completed their secondary education. Indian applicants must have completed their 12 years of education. For graduate courses, the applicants are required to have a bachelor’s degree and for some courses, GMAT or GRE score may be required.
Acceptance Rate
The University of California San Diego acceptance rate is between 25% - 27%. Looking at the acceptance rate, it can be said that the university is quite selective at the time of admission.
Application Fee
UCSD application fee for graduate USD 155 for graduate applicants.
Eligibility
Given below are the general requirements that international students have to meet to take admission to UCSD:
UG Entry Requirements
- Complete secondary education equivalent to US High School Diploma
- Meet the English Language Proficiency requirements i.e.:
- The minimum TOEFL (iBT) score is 83 and the minimum TOEFL (Paper Based) score is 550
- Minimum IELTS score of 7
- Duolingo English Test (DET): Minimum score of 115
PG Entry Requirements
- Students must hold a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent from an accredited international university
- Submit GRE score (if required)
- Submit GMAT score (if needed)
- English Language Proficiency test score of any of the following tests i.e. IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE
Also check, the UC San Diego Admission Details
Commonly asked questions On Admissions
Yes, for admission to a few graduate courses at the University of California San Diego, the applicants are required to submit a GRE or GMAT score. An example of this clause is the MBA. Apart from the GRE score, the applicants who want to take admission to this university’s graduate courses are:
- Academic transcripts
- English language proficiency score
- Other documents such as CV, Personal Statement, LORs
UC San Diego application fee for international graduate applications is USD 155 (Around INR 13k). There is an application fee for undergraduate applicants as well. The documents that have to be submitted along with the application are academic transcripts, statement of purpose, English language proficiency score, etc.
For undergraduate admissions, UC San Diego releases admission decisions almost 4 months after the application deadline. In the case of graduate courses, the admission decisions releasing process varies by department. The applications are released throughout the year. The application status page will be updated as soon as the decisions are released.
The University of California San Diego accepts ELP test scores like TOEFL / IELTS / Duolingo / PTE. The minimum test scores that are required are:
Test | Minimum Scores for UG | Minimum Scores for PG |
---|---|---|
TOEFL iBT | 83 | 85 |
IELTS | 7 | 7 |
Duolingo | 115 | - |
PTE | - | 65 |
Note: The above test scores are subject to vary as per the courses.
To be eligible for UG courses, international applicants are required to have a GPA of 3.0 or better, with no lower grade than C. Even for PG courses, the applicants are required to have a minimum of 3.0. The general requirements at this university would require students to have a Class 12 education to get into UG courses. For admission to PG courses, the applicants are required to have an undergraduate degree as a pre-requisite.
UC San DiegoStudents Ratings & Reviews
- Fun loving
- Academically oriented
- 50% students never faced discrimination in this university
UC San Diego Placements
The 2024 Full-Time MBA Employment Report shows that 72% of MBA students received job offers within three months of graduation.
Alumni Statistics: Sectors Placed
Here are some of the industries where the MBA graduates of UCSD have been hired.
Employment by Industry |
|
---|---|
Industry |
% |
Consulting |
22.2% |
Healthcare |
22.2% |
Financial Services |
16.7% |
Technology |
11.1% |
Non-Profit / Education |
11.1% |
A few of the industries where UC San Diego alumni worked are shown below:
ROI after Education from UC San Diego
The average salary of UC San Diego graduates is USD 70,000 - 88,000 (Around INR 60 L - 75 L). On the other hand, the tuition fee at UCSD ranges between INR 22.5 L to INR 66 L. This means studying at this university would be a great investment. For the MBA graduates, the average salary is USD 116,430 (Around 99 lakh) and the tuition fee for an MBA is around INR 47 L.
Top Employers
The top employers for UCSD MBA graduates are:
- AGS
- Boston Consulting Group, Japan
- Kearney Japan
- YPOG
- EY-Parthenon
Commonly asked questions On Placements
Some of the industries where UC San Diego MBA alumni work are:
Employment by Industry | |
---|---|
Industry | % |
Consulting | 22.2% |
Healthcare | 22.2% |
Financial Services | 16.7% |
Technology | 11.1% |
Non-Profit / Education | 11.1% |
The average salary for UC San Diego graduates is USD 91,000 per year. A few of the job titles on which the graduates are employed are Mechanical Engineer, Software Engineer, Data Scientist, Data Analyst, etc. The average salary as per the job titles is given below:
Job Titles | Average Salary |
---|---|
Software Engineer | USD 110,311 |
Mechanical Engineer | USD 91,844 |
Data Scientist | USD 107,647 |
Senior Software Engineer | USD 156,297 |
Data Analyst | USD 75,243 |
Popular employers of this university’s graduates are Northrop Grumman Corporation, Dexcom, Intel Corporation, Raytheon Co., Johnson & Johnson, etc.
For the MBA Class of 2023 graduates, the University of San Diego graduates have an average salary of USD 126,634. A total of 72.4% received offers within 3 months of graduation. The industries where the graduates are included are Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Financial Services, and Others. A few of the job functions on which the MBA graduates of this university are employed are Marketing / Sales, Operations / Logistics, Finance / Accounting, etc.
University of California - San Diego Campus Ranking 2025
University of California - San Diego Campus is frequently recognized for its academics and global reputation. In 2025, the institution achieved a notable ranking of #18 as per the Shiksha Popularity Ranking assessments. Also, the University of California - San Diego ranking by a top-ranking publisher is #72 in 2025. As per another ranking publisher, it ranks at #34 in World University Rankings 2025.
#33
#18
Commonly asked questions On Rankings
The University of California San Diego ranking is among the top 100 universities in the world as per a top-ranking publisher in 2025. In 2024, as per another ranking publisher, the university ranks within the category of Top 50 Universities in the World. Furthermore, according to Global University ranking, the university is placed at #21 position in 2024-25 rankings published by another top-ranking publisher. As per Shiksha Grading, the university has received an overall grade of A+
According to a top-ranking publisher, UC San Diego ranks at #28 position in 2024 in the national universities category. In the year 2023, the university was placed at the #34 position. This shows that there has been an improvement in the university's ranking in this year.
The University of California San Diego ranking for MS in CS programme is impressive as it ranks among the top 100 universities in the world. According to Times Higher Education ranking 2023, the UCSD PG computer Science ranking is 33. The below table includes the UC San Diego MS in CS ranking in past few years:
Ranked By | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|
THE (Times Higher Education) - PG Computer Science | 37 | 33 | 33 |
US News & World Report - Computer Engineering PG | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Check the list of Top 20 Universities in the USA for MS in Computer Science 2023
Once again the University of San Diego has strengthened its reputation as a global academic institution, rising one spot to No. 3 among public U.S. Universities in the 2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Also, the university advanced to No. 14 among the public colleges overall and No. 18 in the world in the annual list. This ranking is a testament to the university's groundbreaking research, transformative, innovation, and world-class education. Furthermore, UC San Diego has recently been named as the No. 3 public university in the nation by Forbes in the 2025 America's Top Colleges list. In the world rankings released by Times Higher Education, UC San Diego ranks at #34 in 2025.
UC San DiegoStudent profile
Others
40%
Asian
33%
Hispanic
23%
Black
1%
In state
81%
Foreign
11%
Out of state
7%
24 and under
95%
25 and over
4%
UG Number of Applicant
Overall Graduation Rate
UG Enrollment
PG Enrollment
UC San DiegoStudying in USA
Key Facts About USA
Insights on education, demographics & weather.UC San Diego FAQs
Students starting their first semester at UC San Diego must try to follow the below-given pointers:
- Attend every class and take notes
- Get involved with at least some of the non-studying activities such as extracurriculars, sports clubs or interest groups, etc.
- Try to live on campus
- Utilize the student resources such as Library and Health Center
The admission requirements for the UCSD Master of Finance program are given below:
- An undergraduate degree in Finance / Economics / Computer Science / Engineering / Mathematics / Physics or Statistics is required. Other majors are also considered
- Post-university work, research experience or internships in a Quantitative discipline is also considered
- An official GMAT / GRE score
- Application materials like academic transcripts, two recommendations, statement of purpose, resume or CV, etc.
UC San Diego is a highly competitive university. It is consistently ranked as one of the top public universities in the US. When it comes to admission, the University of California San Diego acceptance rate is between 25% - 27%. The acceptance rate justifies that it is a fairly competitive university to get into. A large number of highly qualified students apply to this university, and the university follows a holistic admission process to grant admission. In short, every application, including the personal insight questions is thoroughly reviewed. The factors considered for granting admission are:
- Academic performance
- Performance in standardized tests
- Personal qualities
- Creative, Intellectual, Social or Professional Achievement
- Handling of challenges, Hardships, Unusual circumstances
Yes, the GRE General Test is required for admission to UC San Diego MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering. A bachelor's or MS degree in Physical Sciences, Engineering, or Mathematics from an accredited university or college is required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. Here are the other application requirements:
- TOEFL with a score of 85 on iBT / IELTS with a score of 7
- Statement of Purpose
- 3 Letters of Recommendation
- Official transcripts
- Resume / CV
- Application fee
UC San Diego has risen to the No. 6 public university in the Princeton Review's Best Value Colleges 2024 for students seeking stellar academics and a great career foundation at an affordable cost. As per the university's Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, the university ensures affordable, high-quality education and empowers students from diverse backgrounds to acquire the skills and knowledge important to thrive in the future workforce and make a positive impact on society. UCSD is consistently recognised as a leader in providing excellent education at an affordable cost. The university earned a spot in Money Magazine's list of 'Best Colleges in America' for 2024, receiving a top 5-star rating.
To take admission to UCSD MS in Electrical & Computer Engineering course, the applicants are required to have a BS/MS degree in Engineering, Physical Sciences, or Mathematics from an accredited university. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. Other admission requirements are given below:
- GRE test, not required (recommended)
- English language proficiency test (TOEFL / IELTS / PTE)
- Statement of Purpose
- Three Letters of Recommendation
- Scanned unofficial transcripts
- Resume / CV
Yes, UC San Diego is a Tier 1 university. This university has received a status of R1: Very High Research Activity. It is basically a leader in research and USD 1.73 billion sponsored research funding was there for FY24. Also, this university was ranked at 9th position in the world for the most highly cited / most influential researchers, according to Clarivate. Additionally, the university's research programme generated 400 new invention disclosures and over 90 new U.S. patents.
UC San Diego
Student Forum
Answered 2 weeks ago
As per Shiksha's Top California Universities Rankings, the following institutions round up the top 5 higher educational institutions in the state:
· Stanford University
· University of California – Berkeley
· California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
· University of California – L
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
- Application Opens: August 1st.
- Application Deadline: December 2nd.
- First-Year Admission De
S
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a month ago
There are many reasons which inspire Indian students to study at University of California, San Diego. Here are few of them:
1) Strong Academic Record: It is ranked as a top university in US among all Universities and globally renowed for computer science, engineering, and biotechnology.
2) Job Opportu
B
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
You will have a better campus life at University of California, San Diego because of the following reasons:
1) You will have more chances to interact with your professors, you can do long hours projects with them, can interact more with all professors for various job and internship opportunities.
2) Y
B
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Both these institutions fall under the institutional umbrella of the University of California, despite this, both institutions are selective to varying degrees. The University of California Riverside has an acceptance rate of around 76.4% while that of UCSD is around 25%.
Thus, securing a seat at UC
A
Contributor-Level 10
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