UCSD vs. Carnegie Mellon vs. Georgia Tech vs. Purdue

Should I go to University of California San Diego or Carnegie Mellon University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSD or Carnegie Mellon 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 San Diego vs. Carnegie Mellon University vs. Georgia Institute of Technology Main Campus vs. Purdue University Main Campus comparison
University of California San Diego Carnegie Mellon University Georgia Institute of Technology Main Campus Purdue University Main Campus
University of California San Diego Carnegie Mellon University Georgia Institute of Technology Main Campus Purdue University Main Campus
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Overview

 UCSD Carnegie Mellon Georgia Tech Purdue
Location La Jolla, CA Pittsburgh, PA Atlanta, GA West Lafayette, IN
Setting Large City Large City Large City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 42,376 15,596 47,946 52,905
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #88 #43 #137 #103
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsd.edu cmu.edu gatech.edu purdue.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 UCSD Carnegie Mellon Georgia Tech Purdue
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $62,260 $10,258 $9,718
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $62,260 $31,370 $28,520
Room & Board $17,198 $17,468 $12,760 $11,650
Avg Net Price $13,293 $32,964 $15,901 $12,421
Avg Grant Aid $24,176 $47,550 $13,423 $11,126
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 49% 71% 39%

Admission

 UCSD Carnegie Mellon Georgia Tech Purdue
Applied 130,771 33,707 52,377 73,083
Admitted 32,062 3,843 8,622 36,763
Acceptance Rate 24.5% 11.4% 16.5% 70.2%
Enrolled % 21.8% 44.4% 43.6% 108.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.89 3.85 3.67
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Very High Very High Low
ACT Range 28/34 34/35 28/34 27/34
SAT Range 1270/1480 1500/1570 1330/1530 1190/1460
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Jan 1, 2026 Jan 4, 2026

Academics

 UCSD Carnegie Mellon Georgia Tech Purdue
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 5:1 18:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (23%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Engineering (26%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Engineering (57%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (6%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Architecture (4%)
  • Engineering (46%)
  • Business (45%)
  • Engineering Technology (21%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Work and Family Studies (15%)

Outcomes

 UCSD Carnegie Mellon Georgia Tech Purdue
Graduation Rate 85% 87% 79% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $67,900 $102,700 $82,600 $61,200
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 91% 85% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,500 $26,250 $24,000 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $191 $271 $248 $222

Diversity

 UCSD Carnegie Mellon Georgia Tech Purdue
% Men 11% 32% 43% 15%
% Women 9% 21% 17% 10%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High High Medium
HBCU No No No No
% White 21% 32% 51% 65%
% Black 1% 5% 7% 3%
% Hispanic 16% 8% 7% 4%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4% 4% 2%
% International 17% 18% 11% 17%
% Unknown Race 2% 5% 2% 2%

Students

 UCSD Carnegie Mellon Georgia Tech Purdue
% In-State 79% 9% 58% 46%
% Out-of-State 10% 71% 34% 44%

Campus

 UCSD Carnegie Mellon Georgia Tech Purdue
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No No
Daycare Facility Yes No Yes Yes
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Comparable Facts

  • University of California San Diego is larger than than Carnegie Mellon based on total student enrollment (42,376 students vs. 15,596 students)

UCSD vs. Carnegie Mellon Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSD or Carnegie Mellon?

  • Carnegie Mellon University is 426.1% more expensive to attend than UCSD for in-state tuition ($62,260.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 46.1% higher at Carnegie Mellon than University of California San Diego ($62,260.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California San Diego than Carnegie Mellon ($13,293 vs. $32,964)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California San Diego are 1.6% lower than costs at Carnegie Mellon University ($17,198 vs. $17,468)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California San Diego than Carnegie Mellon University (64% vs. 49%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Carnegie Mellon University students is 96.7% larger than aid received University of California San Diego ($47,550 vs. $24,176)

UCSD vs. Carnegie Mellon Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Carnegie Mellon University (1448) is 104 points higher than at UCSD (1344)
  • Incoming Carnegie Mellon students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at UCSD (31)
  • Accepted freshman Carnegie Mellon students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at UCSD (3.82)
  • UCSD has a higher acceptance rate (24.5%) than Carnegie Mellon (11.4%)

UCSD vs. Carnegie Mellon Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSD or Carnegie Mellon? 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 Carnegie Mellon and UCSD.

  • The graduation rate at Carnegie Mellon is higher than University of California San Diego (87% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Carnegie Mellon University earn on average $34,800 more per year than UCSD graduates after ten years. ($102,700 vs. $67,900)
  • University of California San Diego students graduate with a $7,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($18,500 vs. $26,250)
  • UCSD graduates are paying $80 less per month on federal student loans than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($191 vs. $271)
  • More Carnegie Mellon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSD students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 82%)

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