UCLA vs. San Diego State

Should I go to University of California Los Angeles or San Diego State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCLA 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 Los Angeles vs. San Diego State University comparison
University of California Los Angeles San Diego State University College 3 College 4
University of California Los Angeles San Diego State University
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Overview

 UCLA San Diego State
Location Los Angeles, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 46,430 37,402
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #58 #337
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucla.edu sdsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCLA San Diego State
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $17,622
Room & Board $17,231 $19,714
Avg Net Price $16,999 $13,017
Avg Grant Aid $21,766 $9,934
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 43%

Admission

 UCLA San Diego State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 149,801 77,250
Admitted 12,845 30,331
Acceptance Rate 8.6% 39.3%
Enrolled % 50.3% 21.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Challenging
Applicant Competition Extreme High
ACT Range 29/35 22/29
SAT Range 1300/1530 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

 UCLA San Diego State
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 25:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

 UCLA San Diego State
Graduation Rate 90% 66%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,700 $53,400
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,300 $15,349
Median Loan Payment $168 $158

Diversity

 UCLA San Diego State
% Men 43% 42%
% Women 57% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 34%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 21% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 13% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

 UCLA San Diego State
% In-State 77% 77%
% Out-of-State 15% 21%

Campus

 UCLA 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

  • University of California Los Angeles is larger than than San Diego State based on total student enrollment (46,430 students vs. 37,402 students)

UCLA vs. San Diego State Cost Comparison

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

  • University of California Los Angeles 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 UCLA 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 UCLA ($13,017 vs. $16,999)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Los Angeles are 14.4% lower than costs at San Diego State University ($17,231 vs. $19,714)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Los Angeles than San Diego State University (46% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 119.1% larger than aid received San Diego State University ($21,766 vs. $9,934)

UCLA vs. San Diego State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCLA 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 UCLA .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 209 points higher than at San Diego State (1130)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at San Diego State (25)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at San Diego State (3.82)
  • San Diego State has a higher acceptance rate (39.3%) than UCLA (8.6%)

UCLA vs. San Diego State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCLA 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 UCLA.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than San Diego State University (90% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $17,300 more per year than San Diego State graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $53,400)
  • San Diego State University students graduate with a $951 lower median federal student loan debt than UCLA graduates. ($15,349 vs. $16,300)
  • San Diego State graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than UCLA graduates. ($158 vs. $168)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Diego State students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 65%)

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