University of California-San Diego

A parent's read

Built for the AI economy. Top 13 in the country. About 1 in 11 degrees here is already in AI, computer science, or data fields; its AI research output ranks #13 among US universities. This campus is leaning into the shift, not waiting for it.
The major moves the money more than the admit letter. Computer Science grads from here earn about $159,487 four years out; drama grads about $41,389 — a 3.9× spread on the same diploma. Have the major conversation before you deposit, not after.
The payoff holds even at full price: roughly 5× over a decade. With no aid at all — the full in-state ~$38,701/yr — a decade of median earnings (~$84,943/yr) still runs about 5× the four-year cost. This payoff doesn't depend on qualifying for anything. (Out-of-state costs more.)
Almost everyone who starts here finishes. 86% graduate within six years — the standard federal measure. Nationally about a third of students who start a bachelor's never finish one, and an unfinished degree is the most expensive outcome in this decision: the debt stays, the credential doesn't.

Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.

Get your child's odds at University of California-San Diego Free Family Decision Report — Reach / Competitive / Match / Likely + your real net price. University of California-San Diego starts already on the list. Start →

Odds at University of California-San Diego

Put in your child's GPA and score — we'll show where they land here. Free, and nothing to sign up for.

GPA

Most families report the weighted one — it's the higher number, with honors and AP credit in it.

SAT

—

This reads the numbers — admit rate, scores, GPA. The real decision also weighs essays, recommendations, activities, and course rigor.

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Live odds from each college's own published admissions data.

Parent/student verdict

Selective

Selective but achievable for strong students. Affordable — net price averages ~$12,470/yr among aid recipients.

Best for

Strong overall academic profile (avg admit unweighted GPA 3.90 per CDS — school is test-blind, so scores aren't part of the decision at all — the transcript carries the weight)
Students drawn to Biological & Biomedical Sciences or Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies (the two biggest majors)
Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)
Students who thrive in a large, programmatic environment

The reality

You'd be near the bottom of their admitted class if: unweighted GPA below 3.70 (test bands are the school's own; the 3.70 line is our estimate, not a published figure)
Test-blind — scores aren't considered at all, so transcript GPA, course rigor, and essays do all the work
With selective universities, build a balanced college list of Reaches, Targets, and Safeties ⓘ
Out-of-state tuition is 3.0× the in-state rate

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price with aid and at full price, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

What are your child's odds here?

Enter their numbers once — this and every college page shows their verdict, and the UC campus cards on California school pages light up with it too. Free, no email.

Weighted is the higher GPA, with honors/AP credit in it — pick whichever your school reports. PSAT scores work in the SAT box.

Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification

R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity

Undergraduates

34,948

20,000 and above including graduate students

In-state tuition

$16,758

sticker, before aid

Out-of-state tuition

$50,958

+$34,200 vs in-state

Admit rate

27.2%

Selective

Test policy

Test-blind

2023

10-yr earnings

$84,943

median, after entry

Source: admit rate is UC's Fall 2026 preliminary release (see banner above); federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

High-school GPA

3.90 avg unweighted GPA, enrolled first-years

Enrolled first-years by GPA band: 4.00+ 27.3% · 3.75-3.99 52.5% · 3.50-3.74 17.2% · 3.25-3.49 3.0%

unweighted 4.0 scale. Fall 2024 entering class. 134k apps — among largest applicant pools in country. 26.8% admit rate, modest yield (UC system competition). Common Data Set 2024-25 ↗

As published by the college in its Common Data Set / admissions data (2024-25) — independently verified 2026-07-23 (source linked above). GPA basis (weighted vs. unweighted vs. 4.0-scale) varies by college and is labeled above.

Fall 2026 — just released by UC (preliminary)

141,767 applied · 38,571 admitted · 27.2% admit rate · admitted GPA middle 50%: 4.12–4.28 · 56.0% of admits are California residents. First-year offers as of June 2026, per UC's own release ↗ — fresher than the federal figures below. Full analysis: UC's Fall 2026 numbers →

Admit rate by discipline — Fall 2025

The headline admit rate hides a wide spread by program.

University of California-San Diego's own systemwide data, by broad discipline. Campus overall: 28%. UC admits to the campus, not the major, at most programs — but the spread below is the real selectivity of each applicant pool, and capped programs (computer science, engineering, nursing) do gate by major.

Discipline	Applicants	Admitted	Admit rate Fall 2025	Admit GPA (mid-50%)
Public Health	1,760	305	17%	4.08–4.26
Engineering	20,205	3,938	19%	4.17–4.30
Computer Science	10,785	2,143	20%	4.16–4.30
Business	9,040	1,937	21%	4.13–4.29
Social Sciences	24,878	6,501	26%	4.08–4.28
Other Health Science	2,939	815	28%	4.09–4.26
Architecture	495	153	31%	4.00–4.25
Education	1,100	336	31%	4.08–4.25
Other/Interdisciplinary	10,626	3,246	31%	4.09–4.28
Life Sciences	25,093	8,177	33%	4.15–4.29
Arts & Humanities	7,812	2,699	35%	4.06–4.26
Physical Sciences/Math	12,511	4,924	39%	4.13–4.29

By specific major — Fall 2025

Major	Applicants	Admitted	Admit rate Fall 2025	Admit GPA (mid-50%)	Earlier year for comparison
Business Economics Business	9,040	1,937	21%	4.13–4.29	Fall 2022: 18% ↑
Human Biology Life Sciences	8,253	2,456	30%	4.14–4.29	Fall 2021: 36% ↓
Computer Science Computer Science	6,464	672	10%	4.19–4.30	Fall 2021: 14% ↓
Undeclared Undeclared	6,056	2,667	44%	4.06–4.27	Fall 2021: 53% ↓
Biology Life Sciences	4,988	1,384	28%	4.14–4.30	Fall 2021: 34% ↓
Biology, General Life Sciences	4,988	1,384	28%	4.14–4.30	Fall 2021: 34% ↓
Mechanical Engineering Engineering	4,577	251	5%	4.22–4.33	Fall 2021: 18% ↓
Psychology Social Sciences	4,513	836	19%	4.09–4.28	Fall 2021: 26% ↓
Psychology, General Social Sciences	4,513	836	19%	4.09–4.28	Fall 2021: 26% ↓
Psychology, Other Social Sciences	4,513	836	19%	4.09–4.28	Fall 2021: 26% ↓
Economics Social Sciences	2,758	855	31%	4.00–4.26	Fall 2021: 32%
Computer Engineering Engineering	2,636	498	19%	4.20–4.30	Fall 2021: 40% ↓
Neurobiology Life Sciences	2,488	1,000	40%	4.16–4.29	Fall 2021: 47% ↓
Neurobiology, Physiology And Behavior Life Sciences	2,488	1,000	40%	4.16–4.29	Fall 2021: 47% ↓
International Studies - International Business Other/Interdisciplinary	2,257	573	25%	4.08–4.27	Fall 2021: 27% ↓
Data Science Computer Science	2,222	1,027	46%	4.13–4.29	Fall 2021: 39% ↑
Political Science Social Sciences	1,961	696	35%	4.09–4.28	Fall 2021: 36%
Marine Biology Life Sciences	1,890	562	30%	4.10–4.28	Fall 2021: 27% ↑
Business Psychology Social Sciences	1,839	337	18%	4.11–4.28	Fall 2021: 22% ↓
Aerospace Engineering Engineering	1,823	307	17%	4.17–4.30	Fall 2021: 26% ↓
Chemistry Physical Sciences/Math	1,778	590	33%	4.12–4.29	Fall 2021: 39% ↓
Public Health Public Health	1,760	305	17%	4.08–4.26	Fall 2021: 32% ↓
Undeclared - Social Science Undeclared	1,620	271	17%	4.06–4.28	Fall 2021: 20% ↓
Cognitive Science Other/Interdisciplinary	1,550	649	42%	4.11–4.28	Fall 2021: 49% ↓
Sociology Social Sciences	1,442	278	19%	4.06–4.25	Fall 2021: 25% ↓
Psychology With A Specialization In Clinical Psychology Social Sciences	1,365	314	23%	4.10–4.28	Fall 2021: 28% ↓
Applied Mathematics Physical Sciences/Math	1,318	596	45%	4.15–4.29	Fall 2021: 44%
Political Science - Public Law Social Sciences	1,210	322	27%	4.10–4.28	Fall 2021: 28%
Physics Physical Sciences/Math	1,182	453	38%	4.09–4.28	Fall 2021: 39%
Physics, Applied Physical Sciences/Math	1,182	453	38%	4.09–4.28	Fall 2021: 39%
Physics, General Physical Sciences/Math	1,182	453	38%	4.09–4.28	Fall 2021: 39%
Physics, General - Secondary Education Physical Sciences/Math	1,182	453	38%	4.09–4.28	Fall 2021: 39%
Chemical Engineering Engineering	1,113	636	57%	4.18–4.30	Fall 2021: 64% ↓
Bioengineering Engineering	1,099	162	15%	4.24–4.30	Fall 2021: 15%
Mathematics Physical Sciences/Math	1,088	402	37%	4.13–4.29	Fall 2021: 36%
Mathematics, Applied Physical Sciences/Math	1,088	402	37%	4.13–4.29	Fall 2021: 36%
Mathematics, Applied (Pre) Physical Sciences/Math	1,088	402	37%	4.13–4.29	Fall 2021: 36%
Mathematics, Financial Actuarial (Pre) Physical Sciences/Math	1,088	402	37%	4.13–4.29	Fall 2021: 36%
History Arts & Humanities	1,005	391	39%	4.10–4.29	Fall 2021: 38%
Education Sciences Education	970	295	30%	4.07–4.25	Fall 2021: 24% ↑
Undeclared - Physical Science Undeclared	912	214	23%	4.08–4.28	Fall 2021: 28% ↓
Structural Engineering Engineering	897	268	30%	4.14–4.30	Fall 2021: 46% ↓
Political Science - International Relations Social Sciences	892	337	38%	4.07–4.28	Fall 2021: 46% ↓
Visual Arts - Media Arts & Humanities	883	249	28%	4.08–4.26	Fall 2021: 27%
Undeclared - Humanities Undeclared	845	129	15%	4.06–4.28	Fall 2021: 20% ↓
Sociology - Law And Society Social Sciences	806	144	18%	4.03–4.25	Fall 2021: 22% ↓
Pharmacological Chemistry Physical Sciences/Math	777	256	33%	4.14–4.28	Fall 2021: 36% ↓
Microbiology Life Sciences	766	247	32%	4.16–4.30	Fall 2021: 39% ↓
Microbiology, Immunology, And Molecular Genetics Life Sciences	766	247	32%	4.16–4.30	Fall 2021: 39% ↓
Environmental Systems - Earth Sciences Life Sciences	753	270	36%	4.15–4.29	Fall 2021: 31% ↑
Environmental Systems - Environmental Policy Life Sciences	726	275	38%	4.15–4.29	Fall 2021: 34% ↑
Drama Arts & Humanities	675	213	32%	4.07–4.25	Fall 2021: 38% ↓
Astronomy And Astrophysics Physical Sciences/Math	619	288	47%	4.09–4.28	Fall 2024: 37% ↑
International Studies - Political Science Other/Interdisciplinary	601	249	41%	4.14–4.29	Fall 2021: 43% ↓
Mathematics - Computer Science Other/Interdisciplinary	578	302	52%	4.11–4.28	Fall 2021: 63% ↓
Philosophy Arts & Humanities	561	231	41%	4.08–4.27	Fall 2021: 40%
Global Health Other Health Science	514	233	45%	4.08–4.25	Fall 2021: 51% ↓
Political Science - Public Policy Social Sciences	514	199	39%	4.16–4.30	Fall 2021: 44% ↓
Real Estate And Development Architecture	495	153	31%	4.00–4.25	Fall 2021: 24% ↑
Human Developmental Sciences Social Sciences	478	171	36%	4.06–4.28	Fall 2021: 34% ↑
International Studies - Economics Other/Interdisciplinary	468	133	28%	4.08–4.26	Fall 2021: 32% ↓
Music Arts & Humanities	419	121	29%	4.03–4.25	Fall 2021: 31% ↓
Anthropology Social Sciences	382	149	39%	4.02–4.25	Fall 2022: 27% ↑
Nanoengineering Engineering	377	282	75%	4.09–4.28	Fall 2021: 70% ↑
Political Science - American Politics Social Sciences	319	78	24%	4.14–4.30	Fall 2021: 28% ↓
Speculative Design Arts & Humanities	306	115	38%	4.03–4.25	Fall 2021: 40% ↓
Mathematics - Applied Science Physical Sciences/Math	294	137	47%	4.18–4.29	Fall 2021: 50% ↓
Sociology - Economy And Society Social Sciences	270	56	21%	4.04–4.25	Fall 2021: 25% ↓
Critical Gender Studies Social Sciences	234	73	31%	4.09–4.27	Fall 2021: 42% ↓
Engineering Physics Engineering	229	48	21%	4.21–4.29	Fall 2021: 32% ↓
Sociology - Science And Medicine Social Sciences	205	42	20%	4.16–4.28	Fall 2021: 23% ↓
Linguistics Other/Interdisciplinary	198	92	46%	4.11–4.28	Fall 2021: 45%
Linguistics, Applied Other/Interdisciplinary	198	92	46%	4.11–4.28	Fall 2021: 45%
Dance Arts & Humanities	182	50	27%	4.04–4.25	Fall 2021: 27%
Oceanic And Atmospheric Sciences Physical Sciences/Math	181	67	37%	4.10–4.26	Fall 2021: 27% ↑
Natural Sciences Physical Sciences/Math	178	81	46%	4.14–4.29	Fall 2021: 48% ↓
Bioengineering: Biosystems Engineering	155	85	55%	4.22–4.29	Fall 2021: 59% ↓
Environmental Systems - Environmental Chemistry Life Sciences	155	68	44%	4.18–4.30	Fall 2021: 33% ↑
Biological Anthropology Social Sciences	138	61	44%	4.17–4.30	Fall 2021: 54% ↓
Chinese Studies Social Sciences	131	33	25%	4.09–4.27	Fall 2021: 31% ↓
Ethnic Studies Social Sciences	126	40	32%	4.08–4.27	Fall 2022: 36% ↓
Geosciences Physical Sciences/Math	114	56	49%	4.13–4.27	Fall 2023: 37% ↑
Mathematical Biology Physical Sciences/Math	110	58	53%	4.14–4.28	Fall 2024: 60% ↓
Human Developmental Sciences With Specialization In Healthy Aging Social Sciences	104	41	39%	4.09–4.24	Fall 2021: 33% ↑
Physics With Specialization In Computational Physics Physical Sciences/Math	92	45	49%	4.09–4.30	Fall 2021: 58% ↓
Political Science - Comparative Politics Social Sciences	57	14	25%	4.16–4.26	Fall 2021: 39% ↓

Majors are shown as UC's systemwide data reports them; programs too small to clear UC's reporting floor don't appear. Admit rates by major reflect who applies as much as who gets in — at most UC programs, students are admitted to the campus, not the major.

Source: University of California Information Center ↗, first-year applicants by broad discipline (data back to Fall 2012). GPA is UC's capped weighted GPA. UC's own guidance: use this as a general guide to selectivity, not a predictor of any one student's chances. Small programs are suppressed by UC.

Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry

$65,669

Earnings, 10 yrs after entry

$84,943

Graduate within 6 yrs

86%

Median debt (completers)

$15,500

The real cost

What University of California-San Diego actually costs

If you qualify for need aid

$12,470/yr

average among aid-receiving families, all incomes — your number depends on your finances

If you don't

$38,701/yr

the full published price for in-state students — out-of-state runs higher

Which side your family lands on isn't set by any national income line — it's set by University of California-San Diego's own aid decision: the gap between its price and your family's finances.

University of California-San Diego's own published aid policy · 2026-27

Tuition-free under $100,000

Who qualifies: CA residents; UC Blue and Gold, systemwide tuition only.

Most California families that earn up to $100,000 receive enough grant and scholarship funds to cover their UC tuition.

Income thresholds assume typical assets. Policy independently verified against the college's financial-aid pages ↗.

Get your family's number — University of California-San Diego's Net Price Calculator ↗ 10–15 minutes; have a tax return handy. It's still an estimate — but it's this college's own, built from your family's numbers, not anyone's average.

Start your Family Decision Report →

Your odds + estimated cost across your whole college list, side by side.

The payoff, both ways

+$695K ahead at full price +$800K with aid

Full price, no aid (4 yrs, in-state)

$154,804

~$38,701/yr all-in (out-of-state runs higher)

Aid recipients pay (4 yrs)

$49,880

$12,470/yr average

10-yr earnings total

$849,430

$84,943/yr median, 10 yrs out

Years to recoup the cost

1.8 yrs

at full price (0.6 with aid), at the median earnings rate

Source: College Scorecard (average net price among Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates who received aid) and each college's published cost of attendance. We don't show the federal net-price-by-income brackets: their categories were fixed in 2008 and never adjusted, and none of the averages is your family's own number — the full story. Payoff = (10-yr median earnings × 10) − (4 years of cost), in dollars — how far ahead a typical graduate runs by year ten; medians travel with the students a college admits and the majors they choose as much as with the college itself. Full price is the published cost of attendance, largely in-state for publics; earnings are 10 years after enrollment, all majors combined.

What students study here

Most popular majors at University of California-San Diego

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University of California-San Diego actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Biological & Biomedical Sciences

1,629 degrees · 28.6%

Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.

2. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

1,459 degrees · 25.6%

Often paired with another field (data + biology, design + tech). Outcomes match the second discipline.

3. Social Sciences

941 degrees · 16.5%

Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.

4. Engineering

935 degrees · 16.4%

Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.

5. Psychology

725 degrees · 12.7%

Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.

What those majors earn here

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major — University of California-San Diego's own graduates, not national averages.

Major (CIP)	Credential	Cohort	1-yr earnings	4-yr earnings
Computer Science.	Bachelor's Degree	591	$112,006	$159,487
Computer Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	167	$96,256	$149,139
Mathematics and Computer Science.	Bachelor's Degree	269	$89,651	$137,218
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology.	Bachelor's Degree	71	$76,592	$123,320
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	218	$80,687	$118,150
Biological/Biosystems Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	20	$67,016	$111,677
Mechanical Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	146	$69,555	$104,229
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	83	$65,401	$100,173
Biomedical/Medical Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	92	$65,045	$98,687
Chemical Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	129	$59,508	$96,798

Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only) · College Scorecard program-level outcomes (PP-FOS). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →

Student body & economic mobility

Who attends here — and what the campus adds.

Opportunity Insights data. It measures two things at once: how many lower-income students a college enrols, and how many of them reach the top earnings quintile later. A high rate says the college does both — it does not establish that the campus caused the earnings, because the students it admits differ from the students it doesn't. Read it as a signal about access and destination, not as proof of value added.

Top-1% access

3.4%

from top-1% households

Mobility rate

4.8%

bottom 20% → top 20% by age 32

Upward rate

55.1%

of lower-income students who reach the top 20%

Pell recipients

34%

on federal need grants — context for these numbers

Full leaderboards: /college-mobility →

Alternatives to University of California-San Diego

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

Better merit-aid options

These similar-selectivity schools publish merit scholarships your family can plan around — your kid’s stats could unlock real scholarship dollars.

Tuskegee University

AL · Private nonprofit

3 stats-based merit scholarships

University of Miami

FL · Private nonprofit

3 competitive merit scholarships

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

NC · Public

3 competitive merit scholarships

Lower full price

Similar selectivity, but a meaningfully lower full sticker price — the comparison that matters most for families who won't qualify for much need-based aid.

University of Florida

FL · Public

$22,523/yr full price (in-state) · $16,178 less before aid for FL residents

Alcorn State University

MS · Public

$23,751/yr full price (in-state) · $14,950 less before aid for MS residents

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

FL · Public

$23,970/yr full price (in-state) · $14,731 less before aid for FL residents

Safer in-state options

Same state and similar selectivity, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.

University of California-Santa Barbara

CA · Public

44% admit rate (vs 27% here)

University of California-Davis

CA · Public

46% admit rate (vs 27% here)

California State University-Long Beach

CA · Public

47% admit rate (vs 27% here)

More students move up here

Per Opportunity Insights, a larger share of these campuses' lower-income students reach the top earnings quintile than at University of California-San Diego. That reflects who they admit as well as what they do, so read it as a destination signal rather than proof of value added.

University of California-Irvine

CA · Public

6.8% mobility rate (vs 4.8% here)

Tuskegee University

AL · Private nonprofit

5.2% mobility rate (vs 4.8% here)

Binghamton University

NY · Public

5.1% mobility rate (vs 4.8% here)

Or compare any college side-by-side

Deciding on University of California-San Diego?

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Feeder high schools

Which high schools send graduates to University of California-San Diego?

Enrolled — from the schools' matriculation lists

76 high schools publish a numbered matriculation list — where their graduates actually enrolled, counted, in the school's own School Profile — and name University of California-San Diego on it. Between them they printed 224 enrolled graduates. Ranked by graduates per class year enrolling at University of California-San Diego, from each school's own published list: the number that school printed, divided by the class years its list covers. The published total and the school's own years label are shown beside every school, so a one-year list and a five-year list can sit on the same page. A list whose class years we cannot read is not divided by a guess — it is listed below with its total instead.

High school · years its list covers Enrolled per class year

Orange County School of the Arts · Class of 2026 8.0 · 8 over 1 class year

Valley Christian High School · Class of 2024 & 2025 6.0 · 12 over 2 class years

Santa Margarita Catholic High School · Class of 2025 5.0 · 5 over 1 class year

Loyola High School · 2020-24 4.4 · 22 over 5 class years

Harker School · Classes of 2023, 2024 & 2025 3.7 · 11 over 3 class years

Saint Joseph-Notre Dame High School · Class of 2026 3.0 · 3 over 1 class year

Francis Parker School · 2022-2025 2.0 · 8 over 4 class years

La Jolla Country Day School · 2023-2025 2.0 · 6 over 3 class years

Sage Hill School · 2023-2025 2.0 · 6 over 3 class years

Berkshire School · Class of 2021 2.0 · 2 over 1 class year

and 66 more

Dana Hall School · Class of 2026 2.0 · 2 over 1 class year

Marlborough School · Class of 2025 2.0 · 2 over 1 class year

Nichols School · Class of 2026 2.0 · 2 over 1 class year

The Madeira School · Class of 2026 2.0 · 2 over 1 class year

The Williston Northampton School · Class of 2026 / Classes of 2022-2025 · counted column: Class of 2026 Matriculation List 2.0 · 2 over 1 class year

The Northwest School · classes of 2021-2025 1.8 · 9 over 5 class years

Lakeside School · 2021-2025 1.6 · 8 over 5 class years

San Francisco University High School · 2021-2025 1.4 · 7 over 5 class years

The Blake School · Classes 2021-2025 1.4 · 7 over 5 class years

Head-Royce School · (2021–25) 1.2 · 6 over 5 class years

Kamehameha Schools · the last seven years, 2017-2023 1.0 · 7 over 7 class years

Albuquerque Academy · Classes of 2021-2024 1.0 · 4 over 4 class years

Bentley School · College Matriculations 2022–2025 1.0 · 4 over 4 class years

St. Paul's School (NH) · College Matriculation for the Forms of 2025 and 2026 (combined two-year TOTAL column) 1.0 · 2 over 2 class years

Archer School for Girls · Class of '25 1.0 · 1 over 1 class year

Chadwick School · Class of 2025 As published 1.0 · 1 over 1 class year

Hopkins School · Class of 2026 1.0 · 1 over 1 class year

Stevenson School · Class of 2024 As published 1.0 · 1 over 1 class year

Stevenson School - Pebble Beach Campus · Class of 2025 1.0 · 1 over 1 class year

The International School of San Francisco · Class of 2026 1.0 · 1 over 1 class year

The Webb Schools · Class of 2024 1.0 · 1 over 1 class year

Western Reserve Academy · Class of 2026 1.0 · 1 over 1 class year

York School · Classes of 2021-2026 0.8 · 5 over 6 class years

Charles Wright Academy · Class of 2021-2025 0.8 · 4 over 5 class years

The Stony Brook School · Classes of 2021-2025 0.8 · 4 over 5 class years

Kent School · College Matriculations 2023-2025 0.7 · 2 over 3 class years

Marin Academy · CLASSES OF 2023–2025 0.7 · 2 over 3 class years

St. Mark's School of Texas · Classes of 2023-2025 0.7 · 2 over 3 class years

Saddle River Day School · 2020-2024 0.6 · 3 over 5 class years

Santa Catalina School · Classes of 2021-2025 0.6 · 3 over 5 class years

St. Stephen's Episcopal School (Austin) · Classes of 2021-2025 0.6 · 3 over 5 class years

Westtown School · 2022-2026 0.6 · 3 over 5 class years

Emma Willard School · Classes of 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 0.5 · 2 over 4 class years

University of Chicago Laboratory Schools · past four years 0.5 · 2 over 4 class years

Harrisburg Academy · 2021-2025 0.4 · 2 over 5 class years

Thomas Jefferson School · 2021 - 2025 As published 0.4 · 2 over 5 class years

Menlo School · Classes of 2023-2025 As published 0.3 · 1 over 3 class years

The Hockaday School · 2024 – 2026 0.3 · 1 over 3 class years

Cate School · 2019-2023 As published 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Catlin Gabel School · last four years 0.2 · 1 over 4 class years

Colorado Academy · Classes 2022-2025 0.2 · 1 over 4 class years

Concord Academy · 2021 to 2025 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Dunn School · 2021-2025 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Durham Academy · 2021–2025 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Eastside Preparatory School · 2021-2025 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Episcopal High School · Classes of 2022 through 2026 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Fort Worth Country Day School · 2020-23 0.2 · 1 over 4 class years

Germantown Academy · Classes of 2022-2026 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Gilman School · classes of 2020-2024 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Greenwich Academy · 2022-2026 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Hathaway Brown School · 2022 - 2026 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Landon School · College Admittance 2023-2026 0.2 · 1 over 4 class years

Lick Wilmerding High School · past four years 0.2 · 1 over 4 class years

Lycee Francais De New York · Class of 2022-2025 0.2 · 1 over 4 class years

Moorestown Friends School · Classes of 2021-2025 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Newark Academy · 2023-2026 0.2 · 1 over 4 class years

Phoenix Country Day School · Classes of 2021-25 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Poly Prep Country Day School · Classes of 2020–2024 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Polytechnic School · Class of 2022-2026 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

The Barstow School · 2021-2025 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

The Bush School · 2020-2025 0.2 · 1 over 6 class years

The Potomac School · past four years 0.2 · 1 over 4 class years

The Seven Hills School · 2021-2025 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

The Westminster Schools · Classes 2021-2025 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

University Prep · 2022–2026 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Westminster · Classes 2021-2025 0.2 · 1 over 5 class years

Admitted — from the schools' acceptance lists

11 high schools publish a numbered list of college acceptances — where their graduates were admitted, not where they enrolled — and name University of California-San Diego on it. Between them they printed 77 admissions. Ranked by admissions per class year to University of California-San Diego, from each school's own published acceptances list: the number that school printed, divided by the class years its list covers. Admits are counted at each college a student was admitted to, the same way the UC Reach Score counts a student admitted to three UC campuses three times — so this is a count of admissions, not of students. The published total and the school's own years label are shown beside every school, and a list whose class years we cannot read is listed below with its total rather than divided by a guess.

High school · years its list covers Admitted per class year

Archbishop Mitty High School · Class of 2025 28.0 · 28 over 1 class year

Lycée Français de San Francisco · Classes 2022, 2023, 2024 6.0 · 18 over 3 class years

Canterbury School-Fort Myers · Class of 2026 3.0 · 3 over 1 class year

St Andrews School Of Boca Raton Inc · Class of 2026 3.0 · 3 over 1 class year

The Altamont School · Classes of 2021-2025 2.4 · 12 over 5 class years

National Cathedral School · 2023-2025 1.3 · 4 over 3 class years

Oratory Preparatory School · Class of 2025 1.0 · 1 over 1 class year

The TASIS School in Dorado · Class of 2026 1.0 · 1 over 1 class year

Key School · 2021 - 2026 · counted column: Acceptances 2021–2026 0.7 · 4 over 6 class years

Wilmington Friends School · 2023 & 2024 0.5 · 1 over 2 class years

and 1 more

St Anselm'S Abbey School · 2022-2026 0.4 · 2 over 5 class years

All 87 feeder schools, ranked →

Counted from each school's own published document, linked on that school's page. A high school that is not here does not publish a numbered list we could read — that is all absence means, and it says nothing about its graduates. Where a school publishes both, the two lists are shown separately: an acceptances list is not a list of enrollments, and the two are never added together.

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At a glance

JSON · Using this page with an AI assistant

University of California-San Diego is a public four-year college in CA. It admitted 27% of applicants (130,771 applied, 2023). Test policy: Test-blind.

Average enrolled GPA 3.9 (unweighted, 2024-25, as published by the college).

Cost: about $12,470 a year on average with aid, $38,701 a year at full price for in-state students.

Median earnings ten years after entry: $84,943 a year. Payoff, meaning ten years of that pay minus four years of cost: $799,550 ahead with aid, $694,626 ahead at full price.

Highest median earnings four years after the degree, by program: Computer Science ($159,487); Computer Engineering ($149,139); Mathematics and Computer Science ($137,218).

Admit rate by major, Fall 2025 (the UC admits to the campus, not the major, at most programs, so read these as a guide to selectivity): lowest Mechanical Engineering 5% (4,577 applied); highest Nanoengineering 75% (377 applied).

Economic mobility (Opportunity Insights): 9% of students came from families in the bottom fifth of income, and 55% of those reached the top fifth as adults.

Aid pledge published by the college for 2026-27: families earning under $100,000 pay no tuition (CA residents; UC Blue and Gold, systemwide tuition only).

High schools that publish a numbered matriculation list and name University of California-San Diego: 76, 224 enrolled students between them — ranked by graduates per class year, most often Orange County School of the Arts (8.0 per class year, 8 over 1 class year, Class of 2026); Valley Christian High School (6.0 per class year, 12 over 2 class years, Class of 2024 & 2025); Santa Margarita Catholic High School (5.0 per class year, 5 over 1 class year, Class of 2025). Each figure is the number that school printed divided by the class years its own list covers; the totals and years are shown. These are the schools that publish such a list, not every school that sends students; full list: https://highschoolreach.com/leaderboards/feeder-schools/university-of-california-san-diego.

High schools that publish a numbered list of college acceptances naming University of California-San Diego: 11, 77 admissions between them — ranked by admissions per class year, most often Archbishop Mitty High School (28.0 per class year, 28 over 1 class year, Class of 2025); Lycée Français de San Francisco (6.0 per class year, 18 over 3 class years, Classes 2022, 2023, 2024); Canterbury School-Fort Myers (3.0 per class year, 3 over 1 class year, Class of 2026). Admits are counted at each college, so this counts admissions, not students. These are a different set of documents from the matriculation lists above and the two are never added together; full list: https://highschoolreach.com/leaderboards/feeder-schools/university-of-california-san-diego.

Machine-readable version of this page: https://highschoolreach.com/colleges/university-of-california-san-diego.json