UCSD vs. Stanford

Should I go to University of California San Diego or Stanford University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSD or Stanford 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

USD Harvard San Diego State UCSB UCI UCLA UC Davis UW-Seattle Caltech MIT UC Berkeley Duke
University of California San Diego vs. Stanford University comparison
University of California San Diego Stanford University College 3 College 4
University of California San Diego Stanford University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UCSD Stanford
Location La Jolla, CA Stanford, CA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 42,006 18,283
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #89 #2
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsd.edu stanford.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSD Stanford
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $57,693
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $57,693
Room & Board $16,710 $18,619
Avg Net Price $16,111 $18,279
Avg Grant Aid $20,782 $60,619
% Receiving Grant Aid 55% 53%

Admission

UCSD Stanford
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 131,197 56,378
Admitted 31,103 2,075
Acceptance Rate 23.7% 3.7%
Enrolled % 21% 83.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.96
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 28/34 33/35
SAT Range 1270/1480 1500/1580
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Jan 2, 2024

Academics

UCSD Stanford
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (23%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • General Studies (16%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (5%)

Outcomes

UCSD Stanford
Graduation Rate 85% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $67,900 $122,900
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,500 $12,475
Median Loan Payment $191 $128

Diversity

UCSD Stanford
% Men 50% 53%
% Women 50% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 21% 37%
% Black 1% 6%
% Hispanic 16% 15%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 10%
% International 17% 9%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

UCSD Stanford
% In-State 81% 35%
% Out-of-State 8% 48%

Campus

UCSD Stanford
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California San Diego is larger than than Stanford based on total student enrollment (42,006 students vs. 18,283 students)

UCSD vs. Stanford Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSD or Stanford?

  • Stanford University is 398.9% more expensive to attend than UCSD for in-state tuition ($57,693.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.6% higher at Stanford than University of California San Diego ($57,693.00 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 Stanford ($16,111 vs. $18,279)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California San Diego are 11.4% lower than costs at Stanford University ($16,710 vs. $18,619)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California San Diego than Stanford University (55% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Stanford University students is 191.7% larger than aid received University of California San Diego ($60,619 vs. $20,782)

UCSD vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Stanford University (1479) is 135 points higher than at UCSD (1344)
  • Incoming Stanford students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at UCSD (31)
  • Accepted freshman Stanford students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at UCSD (3.82)
  • UCSD has a higher acceptance rate (23.7%) than Stanford (3.7%)

UCSD vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Stanford is higher than University of California San Diego (96% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Stanford University earn on average $55,000 more per year than UCSD graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $67,900)
  • Stanford University students graduate with a $6,025 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSD graduates. ($12,475 vs. $18,500)
  • Stanford graduates are paying $63 less per month on federal student loans than UCSD graduates. ($128 vs. $191)
  • More Stanford graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSD students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 82%)

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