Admissions
Getting in, fall 2024
U. California-San Diego admits about 1 in 4 applicants (27%). That puts it in the "Highly selective in-state, Very selective out of state" tier, more selective than 94% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.
Out of every 100 applicants…
The funnel
$80 to apply
Can be waived for applicants with financial need.
Grants credit for AP exams
Men and women
Men were admitted at 23%, women at 30%.
Where applicants live
California applicants were admitted at 25%, applicants from other states at 40%, and international applicants at 31%.
Of those admitted, 25% from California enrolled, against 9.7% from other states and 19% from abroad.
Counted by where applicants lived when they applied, which can differ from who qualifies for in-state tuition. A group's rate reflects who applies from there as well as how the college chooses.
Yield
20% of admitted students enroll, in the typical range nationally.
Wait list: 36,709 offered a place, 25,411 accepted, 5,284 admitted (21% of those who accepted)
Applying early
Doesn't offer early decision or early action
Where you stand
How U. California-San Diego reads a record
and GPA are both very important. 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. Scores aren't read. Most high schools no longer rank; this college doesn't lean on it. Recommends 4 years of math and 3 of science (3 and 2 required). See the years by subject
What they look at
| Very important | Important | Considered | Not considered | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic | |||||
| Rigor of high school record | Very important | ||||
| Class rank | Not considered | ||||
| Academic GPA | Very important | ||||
| Test scores | Not considered | ||||
| Essay | Very important | ||||
| Recommendations | Not considered | ||||
| Personal | |||||
| Interview | Not considered | ||||
| Extracurricular activities | Important | ||||
| Talent or ability | Important | ||||
| Character and personal qualities | Important | ||||
| First generation | Not considered | ||||
| Alumni relation (legacy) | Not considered | ||||
| Geographic residence | Not considered | ||||
| State residency | Important | ||||
| Religious affiliation | Not considered | ||||
| Volunteer work | Important | ||||
| Work experience | Not considered | ||||
| Demonstrated interest | Not considered | ||||
From the federal survey: high school record required; college-prep program required; English proficiency test required
Transferring in
53% of transfer applicants were admittedvs. 27% of first-year applicants
23,577 applied · 12,440 admitted · 3,591 enrolled
Transfers may start in the fall and winter.
At least 60 credits completed to apply as a transfer.
Minimum college GPA: 3.0
Grants credit for course work completed at another college
Dates
- Fall entry: priority date November 30
What the application needs
- High school transcript
- Recommended for some
- College transcripts
- Required
- Essay or personal statement
- Required
- Interview
- Not required
- Standardized test scores
- Not required
- Statement of good standing from a prior college
- Required
Applying
The regular round, as the college reports it. Early rounds have their own dates.
- Apply by November 30 for fall 2026.
- Decisions are sent on a rolling basis starting March 15.
- Admitted students must reply by May 1.
- $450 housing deposit, due May 3, refundable.
What you'll need in high school
Requires a high school diploma; accepts the GED.
Requires a college-preparatory program in high school.
| Years of | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 3 | 4 |
| Science (lab: 2 / 3) | 2 | 3 |
| Foreign language | 2 | 3 |
| Social studies | 0 | 0 |
| History | 2 | 2 |
| Academic electives | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 15 | 18 |
A unit is a year of the subject; lab science is part of science.
On the admissions map
The map plots acceptance rate against SAT scores. University of California-San Diego doesn't report both, so it isn't shown.
Fall 2025 first-years
First-years' high school GPA
Average GPA 3.88
High schools grade differently, and colleges recalculate or weight GPAs their own way, so compare this college only with itself.
First-years by high school GPA (4.0 scale)
- 4.031%
- 3.75–3.9954%
- 3.50–3.7413%
- 3.25–3.492%
- 3.00–3.240%
- below 3.00%
The middle half had GPAs of 3.75–4.0.
All nine bands
| GPA | Sent test scores |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 31.0% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 54.0% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 13.0% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 2.0% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 0.0% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 0.0% |
| 2.0–2.49 | 0.0% |
| 1.0–1.99 | 0.0% |
| below 1.0 | 0.0% |
100% were in the top tenth of their high school class, 100% in the top quarter, of the 96% whose high school reported a rank.
Source:University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)
Test scores
What enrolled first-years scored
Not considered
Scores aren't considered, even if you send them. For students entering in fall 2027.
Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 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 2025;University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 cycleAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)