Key differences on Getting in
- 1
U. California-San Diego is 1.6× more selective than U. California-Davis
Acceptance rate - 2
U. California-San Diego's yield is 4 pts higher than U. California-Davis's
Yield rate
Admissions
Getting in, fall 2024
Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.
The funnel
Quad's selectivity
- U. California-DavisVery selective
- U. California-San DiegoHighly selectivefrom CaliforniaVery selectivefrom other states
Men and women
Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.
Test scores
Test policy
- U. California-DavisTest-blind
- U. California-San DiegoTest-blind
How they read a record
U. California-Davis
GPA, the high school record, and a college-prep program are required.
U. California-San Diego
and GPA are both very important; class rank is considered. 85% of first-years who sent test scores had a 3.75 or higher, so and rarely sets an applicant apart; the courses behind it carry more of the weight.
What they look at
| Factor | U. California-Davis | U. California-San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| High school GPA | Required | Very important |
| High school record | Required | Required |
| Class rank | Not considered | Considered |
| College-prep program | Required | Required |
| Recommendations | Not considered | Not considered |
| Essay | Required | Very important |
| Legacy status | Not considered | Not considered |
| Work experience | Considered | Considered |
| Demonstration of competencies | Not considered | Not considered |
| English proficiency test | Required | Required |
| Other tests | Not considered | Not considered |
Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent release;University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)
Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why