UCI vs. San Diego State

Should I go to University of California Irvine or San Diego State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI or San Diego State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of California Irvine vs. San Diego State University comparison
University of California Irvine San Diego State University College 3 College 4
University of California Irvine San Diego State University
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Overview

 UCI San Diego State
Location Irvine, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 35,937 37,402
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #91 #337
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu sdsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCI San Diego State
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $17,622
Room & Board $17,699 $19,714
Avg Net Price $14,033 $13,017
Avg Grant Aid $17,411 $9,934
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 43%

Admission

 UCI San Diego State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 119,191 77,250
Admitted 25,212 30,331
Acceptance Rate 21.2% 39.3%
Enrolled % 22.5% 21.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Very High High
ACT Range 26/33 22/29
SAT Range 1230/1430 1090/1300
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 UCI San Diego State
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 25:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

 UCI San Diego State
Graduation Rate 85% 66%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $53,400
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $15,349
Median Loan Payment $175 $158

Diversity

 UCI San Diego State
% Men 45% 42%
% Women 55% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 34%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 25% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 16% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

 UCI San Diego State
% In-State 81% 77%
% Out-of-State 7% 21%

Campus

 UCI San Diego State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • San Diego State University is larger than than UCI based on total student enrollment (37,402 students vs. 35,937 students)

UCI vs. San Diego State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or San Diego State?

  • University of California Irvine is 101.4% more expensive to attend than San Diego State for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UCI than San Diego State University ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego State University than UCI ($13,017 vs. $14,033)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Irvine are 11.4% lower than costs at San Diego State University ($17,699 vs. $19,714)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Irvine than San Diego State University (80% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Irvine students is 75.3% larger than aid received San Diego State University ($17,411 vs. $9,934)

UCI vs. San Diego State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCI or San Diego State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between San Diego State or UCI .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Irvine (1175) is 45 points higher than at San Diego State (1130)
  • Incoming UCI students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at San Diego State (25)
  • Accepted freshman San Diego State students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at UCI (3.75)
  • San Diego State has a higher acceptance rate (39.3%) than UCI (21.2%)

UCI vs. San Diego State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI or San Diego State? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between San Diego State and UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than San Diego State University (85% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from University of California Irvine earn on average $8,400 more per year than San Diego State graduates after ten years. ($61,800 vs. $53,400)
  • San Diego State University students graduate with a $1,651 lower median federal student loan debt than UCI graduates. ($15,349 vs. $17,000)
  • San Diego State graduates are paying $17 less per month on federal student loans than UCI graduates. ($158 vs. $175)
  • More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Diego State students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/