Quad

Key differences on Students & campus

  1. 1

    U. California-San Diego is more diverse (index 0.76 vs. 0.73)

    Diversity index
  2. 2

    U. California-San Diego has 2 pts more Pell recipients than San Diego State (34% vs. 32%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  3. 3

    San Diego State has 2 pts more first-gen students than U. California-San Diego (41% vs. 40%)

    First-generation students

Students

Students & campus

Who's on each campus, how many get Pell Grants or are the first in their family, and campus life.

Who's on campus

Undergrads
U. California-San Diego34.9K
San Diego State35.4K
Pell Grant share
U. California-San Diego34%
San Diego State32%
First-gen share
U. California-San Diego40%
San Diego State41%
Diversity index
U. California-San Diego0.76
San Diego State0.73

Who they are

Men
U. California-San Diego45%
San Diego State43%
Part-time students
U. California-San Diego2%
San Diego State9%
Students 25 and older
U. California-San Diego4%
San Diego State12%

Race & ethnicity

U. California-San Diego
San Diego State
  • White
  • Asian
  • Hispanic/Latino
  • Black
  • Two or more
  • International
  • Other/unknown

Where they're from

First-years from in state
U. California-San Diego78%
San Diego State74%
First-years from other states
U. California-San Diego9%
San Diego State23%
First-years from abroad
U. California-San Diego13%
San Diego State2%
New transfer students this fall
U. California-San Diego3,751
San Diego State4,620
Transfers, share of new undergraduates
U. California-San Diego34%
San Diego State41%

Campus

U. California-San Diego
Large cityNCAA D-I · Big West ConferenceStudy abroadUndergrad research
San Diego State
Large cityNCAA D-I FBS · Mountain West ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research

All student numbers in the table

Sources:College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level), Fall 2024;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About 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