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Everything we have for U. California-Davis and U. California-San Diego, grouped like the topic pages. Differences only hides the rows where they match or only one reports.
Every row, including ones where these colleges match.
| Metric | U. California-Davis | U. California-San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Getting in | ||
| Admissions data | Fall 2024 | Fall 2024 |
| Acceptance rate | 42% | 27% |
| Acceptance rate, men / women | 40% / 46% | 23% / 30% |
| Acceptance rate, in-state / other states / international | Not published | 25% / 40% / 31%Fall 2025 |
| Yield, in-state / other states / international | Not published | 25% / 9.7% / 19%Fall 2025 |
| Applicants | 98,864 | 134,450 |
| Admitted | 41,353 | 35,917 |
| Enrolled | 6,767 | 7,330 |
| Yield | 16% | 20% |
| SAT middle 50% | – | – |
| ACT middle 50% | – | – |
| Sent an SAT | – | – |
| Sent an ACT | – | – |
| Scored 1400+ on the SAT | – | – |
| Scored 30+ on the ACT | – | – |
| Admission: High school GPA | Required | Very importantFall 2025 |
| Admission: High school record | Required | Required |
| Admission: Class rank | Not considered | ConsideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: College-prep program | Required | Required |
| Admission: Recommendations | Not considered | Not consideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Essay | Required | Very importantFall 2025 |
| Admission: Legacy status | Not considered | Not consideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Work experience | Considered | ConsideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Demonstration of competencies | Not considered | Not considered |
| Admission: English proficiency test | Required | Required |
| Admission: Other tests | Not considered | Not considered |
| Average high school GPA | – | 3.88Fall 2025 |
| First-years in the top tenth of their class | – | 100% (of the 96% with a rank)Fall 2025 |
| Early decision | – | Not offered2025–26 |
| Early action | – | Not offered2025–26 |
| Wait list | – | 5,284 admitted of 25,411 who acceptedFall 2025 |
| Admission: Rigor of high school record | – | Very importantFall 2025 |
| Admission: Test scores | – | Not consideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Interview | – | Not consideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Extracurricular activities | – | ImportantFall 2025 |
| Admission: Talent or ability | – | ImportantFall 2025 |
| Admission: Character and personal qualities | – | ImportantFall 2025 |
| Admission: First generation | – | ConsideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Geographic residence | – | ConsideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: State residency | – | ImportantFall 2025 |
| Admission: Religious affiliation | – | Not consideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Volunteer work | – | ImportantFall 2025 |
| Admission: Demonstrated interest | – | Not consideredFall 2025 |
| Test policy | Test-blind | Test-blindFall 2027 applicants |
| Application fee | $80 | $80 |
| Deadlines & deposit | – | Apply by November 30 · reply by May 1 · $450 housing depositFall 2026 cycle |
| Gap year allowed | – | NoFall 2026 cycle |
| Credit for AP exams | Yes | Yes |
| Transfer acceptance rate | – | 53%Fall 2025 |
| Students & campus | ||
| Setting | Suburb: Small | City: Large |
| Carnegie class | Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large | Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large |
| Research activity | R1: very high research | R1: very high research |
| Student access & earnings | Lower Access, Higher Earnings | Lower Access, Higher Earnings |
| HBCU, tribal, land-grant | Land-grant | Land-grant |
| Minority-serving, single-sex | Hispanic-Serving, AANAPISI | Hispanic-Serving, AANAPISI |
| Religious affiliation | None | None |
| Athletics | Division I FCS | Division I, no football |
| Conference | Big West Conference; football: Big Sky Conference | Big West Conference |
| ROTC | Army | Not listed |
| Study abroad | Offered | Offered |
| Undergraduate research program | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar | Quarters | Quarters |
| Undergrads | 32,253 | 34,948 |
| Beds in college housing | 16,548 | 19,711 |
| First-years must live on campus | No | No |
| Men in a fraternity | – | 8.0%Fall 2025 |
| Women in a sorority | – | 7.0%Fall 2025 |
| Fraternity/sorority housing | – | – |
| Greek councils present | Panhellenic sororities (NPC), Interfraternity (NIC and IFC)October 2026 | Panhellenic sororities (NPC), Interfraternity (NIC and IFC)October 2026 |
| Pell Grant | 31% | 34% |
| First-gen | 41% | 40% |
| Men / women | 41% / 59% | 45% / 55% |
| Part-time students | 2% | 2% |
| Students 25 and older | 4% | 4% |
| First-years from in state | 78% | 78% |
| First-years from other states | 5% | 9% |
| First-years from abroad | 16% | 13% |
| New transfer students this fall | 2,656 | 3,751 |
| Transfers, share of new undergraduates | 28% | 34% |
| Diversity index | 0.78 | 0.76 |
| Academics | ||
| Students per faculty member | 22 to 1 | 19 to 1 |
| Classes under 20 students | – | 35%Fall 2025 |
| Full-time faculty share | 88% | 88% |
| Average faculty salary | $165,182 | $172,028 |
| Bachelor's degrees awarded | 9,107 | 9,717 |
| Most popular majors | Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 10% · Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 6% · Neurobiology and Anatomy 5% | Cognitive Science, General 9% · Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 6% · Anatomy 6% |
| Instruction spending per student | $34,097 (public, GASB accounting) | $26,067 (public, GASB accounting) |
| Endowment per student | $19,496 (public, GASB accounting) | $35,348 (public, GASB accounting) |
| Tuition share of core revenue | 21% | 17% |
| Cost & aid | ||
| Average cost, all students (est.) | $32,441 | $29,689 |
| Aid generosity (grants ÷ full price) | 31% | 34% |
| Net price, students with grants | $17,270 | $14,047 |
| Sticker price, in-state | $41,055 | $38,505 |
| Sticker price, out-of-state | $71,832 | $69,282 |
| Tuition guarantee | No | No |
| Promise program | No | No |
| Tuition & fees, in-state | $15,247 | $15,265 |
| Tuition & fees, out-of-state | $46,024 | $46,042 |
| First-years paying out-of-state rates | 20% | 21% |
| First-years with grants | 60% | 59% |
| Average grant | $24,591 | $25,757 |
| Aid from the college | 56% | 54% |
| Need-based aid up to | Published data end at $110K | Little need-based aid above $110K |
| Merit for students without need | – | 5.3% got merit aid, averaging $13K |
| Published promise | – | – |
| Aid forms | – | FAFSAFall 2026 entrants |
| Aid priority date or deadline | – | March 2 (priority)Fall 2026 entrants |
| Need met, first-years | – | 84%2024–25 |
| Average aid package, first-years | – | $32,4742024–25 |
| College grant dollars given as merit | – | 11%2024–25 |
| Aid for international students | – | 214 students, average $10.3K2024–25 |
| Outcomes | ||
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $80,838 | $84,943 |
| Graduation rate | 89% | 90% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients | 81% | 82% |
| Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan | 88% | 88% |
| Pell graduation gap | 7 pts lower | 6 pts lower |
| Finished within 4 years: Pell recipients | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: all first-time full-time | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: Pell recipients | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: all first-time full-time | Not published | Not published |
| Graduated in 6 years, White students | 87% | 86% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Asian students | 91% | 91% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Hispanic/Latino students | 80% | 77% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Black students | 78% | 82% |
| Graduated in 6 years, students of two or more races | 83% | 87% |
| Graduated in 6 years, international students | 85% | 88% |
| Retention rate | 93% | 95%Entered fall 2024 |
| Credential within 4 years, all students | 74% | 76% |
| Credential within 8 years, all students | 88% | 89% |
| Enrolled at another college, 8 years on | 3% | 3% |
| Median debt | $13,000 | $15,500 |
| Undergrads with a federal loan | 20% | 21% |
| Median debt, Pell Grant recipients | $11,000 | $14,837 |
| Website | ucdavis.edu | ucsd.edu |
Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;National directories of campus chapters and groups, October 2026;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 Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;College Scorecard, 2023–24;Common Data Set, most recent release;University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 cycle;University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, 2024–25About 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