Public · #29 National University
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, CA · 34,948 undergraduates
What it may cost by family income
Estimated average net price — what families actually pay after grants and scholarships — by annual household income. Net price matters far more than the $72,901 sticker price. All figures are the full cost of attendance — housing, food, and books included, not just tuition.
| Household income | Est. net price / year |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | $7,525 |
| $30k–$48k | $8,155 |
| $48k–$75k | $9,942 |
| $75k–$110k | $15,199 |
| Over $110k | $28,785 |
Sticker cost of attendance: $72,901 (out-of-state) · $38,701 in-state. GPA context: ~4.0+ weighted avg.
What the whole degree costs
Every cost figure above is one year. A bachelor's degree is four — sometimes five. Today's-prices makes no assumptions; the second column assumes prices rise ~3.5% a year, in line with recent averages.
| Household income | 4 yrs, today's prices | 4 yrs with increases |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30k | $30,100 | $31,717 |
| $30k–$48k | $32,620 | $34,373 |
| $48k–$75k | $39,768 | $41,905 |
| $75k–$110k | $60,796 | $64,063 |
| Over $110k | $115,140 | $121,327 |
First-year aid is not guaranteed to repeat — ask University of California, San Diego how grants change after year one. That answer moves these numbers more than anything else on this page.
Applying to a specific major at University of California, San Diego
27% is the acceptance rate for the whole university — not for every major. For the programs below, admission is usually decided separately and is harder than that number suggests. Almost no university publishes a by-major admission rate, and neither does the federal government, so we do not show one: any site that does is estimating.
To find the real figure for your major, check University of California, San Diego's Common Data Set and its admissions page, or ask an admissions officer directly — that question gets answered more often than students expect.
At University of California, San Diego: 518 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $86,972 median earnings (Computer Science.)
Applicant demand has grown far faster than faculty and seats, so many universities cap CS enrollment, admit to it directly, or require a competitive internal application after enrolling.
Check: Whether the school admits to CS directly, and whether switching into CS later is restricted — the answer changes your real odds more than your test scores do.
At University of California, San Diego: 273 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $48,432 median earnings (Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods.)
Many undergraduate business schools admit their own cohort at application time and are more selective than the university overall; others admit only after two years of coursework.
Check: Whether the business school is direct-admit for first-years, and if not, what GPA the internal application actually requires.
Federal data shows no bachelor's completions at University of California, San Diego in engineering, nursing, architecture or visual & performing arts, so those are not listed above. Small or new programs can be missing from federal reporting — confirm with the school before ruling one out.
What graduates earn, by major
Median earnings and median federal loan debt for bachelor's graduates of University of California, San Diego, by field of study, from the U.S. Department of Education. Earnings differ far more between majors at one school than between schools.
| Major | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Science. | $41,870 | — |
| Computer Science. · Computer Science | $86,972 | — |
| International/Globalization Studies. | $41,087 | — |
| Political Science and Government. · Social Sciences | $33,281 | — |
| Economics. · Social Sciences | $46,300 | — |
| Psychology, General. · Social Sciences | $30,771 | — |
| Public Health. · Other Health Professions | $33,726 | — |
| Biology, General. · Biological Sciences | $29,805 | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. · Business | $48,432 | — |
| Communication and Media Studies. | $39,369 | — |
| Mathematics. · Mathematics & Statistics | $39,729 | — |
| Chemistry. | $39,369 | — |
Largest programs shown. Earnings are measured a few years after graduation and reflect who enrolls as much as what is taught.
Is University of California, San Diego a reach, target, or safety for you?
Ladder2College models your personal admission odds and net cost here — based on your GPA, scores, and family income — and shows how it fits alongside the rest of your list.
Model my odds & cost — freeFigures are estimates modeled on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data and recent reporting, provided for guidance only. Always confirm cost with University of California, San Diego’s official net price calculator and admissions figures with the school directly.