UCSD vs. USF

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

 UCSD USF
Location La Jolla, CA San Francisco, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 42,376 9,212
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #88 #116
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsd.edu usfca.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSD USF
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $57,670
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $57,670
Room & Board $17,198 $17,300
Avg Net Price $13,293 $44,104
Avg Grant Aid $24,176 $32,492
% Receiving Grant Aid 64% 97%

Admission

 UCSD USF
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 130,771 25,709
Admitted 32,062 13,052
Acceptance Rate 24.5% 50.8%
Enrolled % 21.8% 8.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.57
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 28/34 26/31
SAT Range 1270/1480 1210/1390
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, 2024 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 UCSD USF
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (23%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (5%)

Outcomes

 UCSD USF
Graduation Rate 85% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $67,900 $70,400
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,500 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $191 $258

Diversity

 UCSD USF
% Men 11% 13%
% Women 9% 24%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 21% 27%
% Black 1% 3%
% Hispanic 16% 19%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 17% 19%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 UCSD USF
% In-State 79% 58%
% Out-of-State 10% 32%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California San Diego is larger than than USF based on total student enrollment (42,376 students vs. 9,212 students)

UCSD vs. USF Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSD or USF?

  • University of San Francisco is 387.3% more expensive to attend than UCSD for in-state tuition ($57,670.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.3% higher at USF than University of California San Diego ($57,670.00 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 USF ($13,293 vs. $44,104)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California San Diego are 0.6% lower than costs at University of San Francisco ($17,198 vs. $17,300)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Francisco than University of California San Diego (97% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Francisco students is 34.4% larger than aid received University of California San Diego ($32,492 vs. $24,176)

UCSD vs. USF Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California San Diego (1344) is 172 points higher than at USF (1172)
  • Incoming UCSD students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at USF (26)
  • Accepted freshman UCSD students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at USF (3.57)
  • USF has a higher acceptance rate (50.8%) than UCSD (24.5%)

UCSD vs. USF Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSD is higher than University of San Francisco (85% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from University of San Francisco earn on average $2,500 more per year than UCSD graduates after ten years. ($70,400 vs. $67,900)
  • University of California San Diego students graduate with a $6,500 lower median federal student loan debt than USF graduates. ($18,500 vs. $25,000)
  • UCSD graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than USF graduates. ($191 vs. $258)
  • More UCSD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USF students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 73%)

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