University of California, San Diego (UCSD) : Rankings, Fees & Courses Details | Top Universities
university logo

University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

Location

University of California, San Diego (UCSD), San Diego United States

Ranking

# 72QS World University Rankings

PGicon

2Postgraduate programs

About University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

The University of California, San Diego (also known as UC San Diego), is one of the top 20 universities in the United States, according to the 2018 edition of the QS World University Rankings. The seventh oldest of the 10 campuses which comprise the University of California, UC San Diego is home to approximately 22,700 undergraduates and 6,300 postgraduates. The university is split into six different residential colleges, as well as three graduate schools and two professional medical schools. The campus is decorated by over a dozen public art projects, providing the university with a distinctive look unlike other institutions in the state of California.

The University of California San Diego is located in the neighborhood of La Jolla in northern San Diego, California, where it’s bordered by the communities of La Jolla Shores, Torrey Pines, and University City. The main campus consists of 761 buildings that occupy a huge 1,152 acres, with natural reserves covering about 889 acres. 
Around 37,000 students attend UC San Diego, the lion’s share of which are undergraduates, with the school offering over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The origins of UC San Diego go back to the early 20th century and the founding of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the first permanent marine science facility in the Western hemisphere and a pioneer in climate change theory. 


UC San Diego is a public research university organized into six undergraduate residential colleges, five academic divisions (arts and humanities, biological sciences, engineering, physical sciences and social sciences), and five graduate and professional schools (Rady School of Management, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences). 
UC San Diego has been ranked in the top five best public universities in the world, and of its current academic staff, 29 have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, 70 to the National Academy of Sciences, 45 to the Institute of Medicine and 110 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Students can get involved in all the cultural activities, clubs, societies, and sports that you would expect from a top-ranking US university. There are over 550 student organizations and 38 national and local Greek organizations hosted on campus, with 20 percent of students joining fraternities and sororities. 
Highlights of student life include the Price Center (PC), a social hub comprising multiple restaurants, the central bookstore, a cinema, and office space. The Ché Café is a student worker cooperative, social center and vegan café which is also a prominent underground music venue. In the past, bands including Green Day, Bon Iver, and Bright Eyes have played here. 

About University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

The University of California, San Diego (also known as UC San Diego), is one of the top 20 universities in the United States, according to the 2018 edition of the QS World University Rankings. The seventh oldest of the 10 campuses which comprise the University of California, UC San Diego is home to approximately 22,700 undergraduates and 6,300 postgraduates. The university is split into six different residential colleges, as well as three graduate schools and two professional medical schools. The campus is decorated by over a dozen public art projects, providing the university with a distinctive look unlike other institutions in the state of California.

The University of California San Diego is located in the neighborhood of La Jolla in northern San Diego, California, where it’s bordered by the communities of La Jolla Shores, Torrey Pines, and University City. The main campus consists of 761 buildings that occupy a huge 1,152 acres, with natural reserves covering about 889 acres. 
Around 37,000 students attend UC San Diego, the lion’s share of which are undergraduates, with the school offering over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The origins of UC San Diego go back to the early 20th century and the founding of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the first permanent marine science facility in the Western hemisphere and a pioneer in climate change theory. 


UC San Diego is a public research university organized into six undergraduate residential colleges, five academic divisions (arts and humanities, biological sciences, engineering, physical sciences and social sciences), and five graduate and professional schools (Rady School of Management, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences). 
UC San Diego has been ranked in the top five best public universities in the world, and of its current academic staff, 29 have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, 70 to the National Academy of Sciences, 45 to the Institute of Medicine and 110 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Students can get involved in all the cultural activities, clubs, societies, and sports that you would expect from a top-ranking US university. There are over 550 student organizations and 38 national and local Greek organizations hosted on campus, with 20 percent of students joining fraternities and sororities. 
Highlights of student life include the Price Center (PC), a social hub comprising multiple restaurants, the central bookstore, a cinema, and office space. The Ché Café is a student worker cooperative, social center and vegan café which is also a prominent underground music venue. In the past, bands including Green Day, Bon Iver, and Bright Eyes have played here. 

Available programs

UC San Diego currently offers 35 masters programs, as well as 47 doctoral programs, five professional programs and nine joint doctoral programs run in association with San Diego State University and other University of California campuses. Professional schools at the university include:

  • Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • Jacobs School of Engineering
  • Skaggs School of Pharmacy
  • School of Global Policy and Strategy
  • School of Medicine

University information

Bachelor

1390+
3+
7+
83+

Master

668+
3+
7+
85+
40,836
79%
21%
8,277
55%
45%
4,752
79%
21%

Tuition fee and scholarships

One of the important factors when considering a master's degree is the cost of study. Luckily, there are many options available to help students fund their master's programme. Download your copy of the Scholarship Guide to find out which scholarships from around the world could be available to you, and how to apply for them.

In this guide you will find:
opportunities

Where to look for scholarship opportunities

how_to

How to apply to scholarships relevant to you

list

A list of available scholarships around the world

checklist

A scholarship application checklist

banner
download_icon Download Scholarship Guide

Rankings & ratings

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is one of the top public universities in San Diego, United States. It is ranked #72 in QS World University Rankings 2025.

QS World University Rankings

  • 2012
    #70
  • 2014
    #63
  • 2015
    #59
  • 2016
    #44
  • 2017
    #40
  • 2018
    #=38
  • 2019
    #41
  • 2020
    #45
  • 2021
    #54
  • 2022
    #48
  • 2023
    #53
  • 2024
    #62
  • 2025
    #72

Campus locations

open the map

Similar Universities

location Atlanta, United States
Ranking

# -

QS World University
Rankings
PGicon

10

Available
programs
View Details
location Oxford, United States
Ranking

# 1201-1400

QS World University
Rankings
PGicon

186

Available
programs
View Details
location Philadelphia, United States
Ranking

# 681-690

QS World University
Rankings
PGicon

439

Available
programs
View Details
location Chicago, United States
Ranking

# 501-550

QS World University
Rankings
PGicon

-

Available
programs
View Details
location University Park, United States
Ranking

# -

QS World University
Rankings
PGicon

8

Available
programs
View Details
location Claremont, United States
Ranking

# -

QS World University
Rankings
PGicon

10

Available
programs
View Details
location New York, United States
Ranking

# -

QS World University
Rankings
PGicon

22

Available
programs
View Details
location Poughkeepsie, United States
Ranking

# -

QS World University
Rankings
PGicon

49

Available
programs
View Details
location Urbana, United States
Ranking

# -

QS World University
Rankings
PGicon

79

Available
programs
View Details
location Phoenix, United States
Ranking

# -

QS World University
Rankings
PGicon

11

Available
programs
View Details
University of California, San Diego (UCSD) basic Public Very High 9 no 8277 XL 89