UCLA vs. UCSD

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

UCLA UCSD
Location Los Angeles, CA La Jolla, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 46,430 42,006
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #58 #89
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucla.edu ucsd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCLA UCSD
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,231 $16,710
Avg Net Price $16,999 $16,111
Avg Grant Aid $21,766 $20,782
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 55%

Admission

UCLA UCSD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 149,801 131,197
Admitted 12,845 31,103
Acceptance Rate 8.6% 23.7%
Enrolled % 50.3% 21%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 29/35 28/34
SAT Range 1300/1530 1270/1480
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 UCSD
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Biology (23%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

UCLA UCSD
Graduation Rate 90% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,700 $67,900
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,300 $18,500
Median Loan Payment $168 $191

Diversity

UCLA UCSD
% Men 43% 50%
% Women 57% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 21%
% Black 3% 1%
% Hispanic 21% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 13% 17%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

UCLA UCSD
% In-State 77% 81%
% Out-of-State 15% 8%

Campus

UCLA UCSD
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 UCSD based on total student enrollment (46,430 students vs. 42,006 students)

UCLA vs. UCSD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCLA or UCSD?

  • University of California Los Angeles and UCSD cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UCLA as University of California San Diego ($41,636.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California San Diego than UCLA ($16,111 vs. $16,999)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California San Diego are 3.1% lower than costs at University of California Los Angeles ($16,710 vs. $17,231)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California San Diego than University of California Los Angeles (55% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 4.7% larger than aid received University of California San Diego ($21,766 vs. $20,782)

UCLA vs. UCSD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California San Diego (1344) is 5 points higher than at UCLA (1339)
  • Incoming UCLA students have at the same average ACT score (31) as students at UCSD (31)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at UCSD (3.82)
  • UCSD has a higher acceptance rate (23.7%) than UCLA (8.6%)

UCLA vs. UCSD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCLA or UCSD? 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 UCSD and UCLA.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than University of California San Diego (90% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $2,800 more per year than UCSD graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $67,900)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $2,200 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSD graduates. ($16,300 vs. $18,500)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than UCSD graduates. ($168 vs. $191)
  • More UCSD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCLA students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 78%)

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