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 42,006 9,688
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #89 #137
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsd.edu usfca.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSD USF
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $54,980
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $54,980
Room & Board $16,710 $16,550
Avg Net Price $16,111 $42,953
Avg Grant Aid $20,782 $30,916
% Receiving Grant Aid 55% 96%

Admission

 UCSD USF
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 131,197 23,103
Admitted 31,103 16,444
Acceptance Rate 23.7% 71.2%
Enrolled % 21% 9.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.57
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 28/34 27/31
SAT Range 1270/1480 1210/1410
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 15, 2024

Academics

 UCSD USF
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 13:1
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 50% 35%
% Women 50% 65%
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 81% 55%
% Out-of-State 8% 34%

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 (42,006 students vs. 9,688 students)

UCSD vs. USF Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSD or USF?

  • University of San Francisco is 375.4% more expensive to attend than UCSD for in-state tuition ($54,980.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 32% higher at USF than University of California San Diego ($54,980.00 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 USF ($16,111 vs. $42,953)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Francisco are 1% lower than costs at University of California San Diego ($16,550 vs. $16,710)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Francisco than University of California San Diego (96% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Francisco students is 48.8% larger than aid received University of California San Diego ($30,916 vs. $20,782)

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 (71.2%) than UCSD (23.7%)

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/