First-year deadlines, 2026–27
| Plan | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Regular decision The standard deadline, with answers in spring. Not binding. | November 30, 2026 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: admission.universityofcalifornia.edu · checked September 30, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, in-state students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | University of California-San Diego course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 3 | 8 BILD 10; may take BILD 1, 2, 3 for credit Meets…8 BILD 10; may take BILD 1, 2, 3 for credit Meets two-course requirement in Natural Science | |
| Chemistry | 3 | 8 CHEM 4 Meets two-course requirement in Natural Science | |
| United States History | 3 | 8 Two quarters of U.S. History; may take HILD 2A…8 Two quarters of U.S. History; may take HILD 2A, 2B, or 2C; Satisfies the American History & Institutions (AHI) requirement 8 units of elective credit | |
| Psychology | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only 4 units of elective credit | |
| Statistics | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only Meets one of two courses…4 Elective Credit Only Meets one of two courses required in Quantitative/Formal Skills | |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only 4 units of elective credit | |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only 4 units of elective credit | |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 8 Elective Credit Only 8 units of elective credit |
Show all 37 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 3 | 8 BILD 10; may take BILD 1, 2, 3 for credit Meets…8 BILD 10; may take BILD 1, 2, 3 for credit Meets two-course requirement in Natural Science | |
| Chemistry | 3 | 8 CHEM 4 Meets two-course requirement in Natural Science | |
| United States History | 3 | 8 Two quarters of U.S. History; may take HILD 2A…8 Two quarters of U.S. History; may take HILD 2A, 2B, or 2C; Satisfies the American History & Institutions (AHI) requirement 8 units of elective credit | |
| Psychology | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only 4 units of elective credit | |
| Statistics | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only Meets one of two courses…4 Elective Credit Only Meets one of two courses required in Quantitative/Formal Skills | |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only 4 units of elective credit | |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only 4 units of elective credit | |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 8 Elective Credit Only 8 units of elective credit | |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only Meets one of two courses…4 Elective Credit Only Meets one of two courses required in Natural Science | |
| European History | 3 | 8 Elective Credit Only May apply as one lower…8 Elective Credit Only May apply as one lower division course to Regional Specialization - Europe | |
| Human Geography | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only 4 units of elective credit | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 8 LISP 1D/DX or LTSP 2A Meets ERC Language…8 LISP 1D/DX or LTSP 2A Meets ERC Language Proficiency requirement | |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 8 Elective Credit Only Meets two-course…8 Elective Credit Only Meets two-course requirement in Quantitative/Formal Skills | |
| Art History | 3 | 8 Elective Credit Only Meets Fine Arts requirement | |
| Music Theory | 3 | 8 Elective Credit Only Meets Fine Arts requirement | |
| 2D Portfolio | 3 | 8 Elective Credit Only Meets Fine Arts Requirement | |
| 3D Portfolio | 3 | 8 Elective Credit Only Meets Fine Arts Requirement | |
| 4 or 5 | 4 | ESYS 10 Meets one of two courses required in Natural Science | |
| 4 or 5 | 4 | MATH 10A or 20A Meets one of two courses required…MATH 10A or 20A Meets one of two courses required in Quantitative/Formal Skills | |
| 4 or 5 | 4 | PHYS 1A or 2A Meets one of two-course requirement…PHYS 1A or 2A Meets one of two-course requirement in Natural Science | |
| 4 or 5 | 4 | PHYS 1B or 2B Meets one of two-course requirement…PHYS 1B or 2B Meets one of two-course requirement in Natural Science | |
| 4 or 5 | 4 | PSYC 1 4 units of elective credit | |
| 5 | 4 | ECON 1 4 units of elective credit | |
| 5 | 4 | ECON 3 4 units of elective credit | |
| 5 | 4 | POLI 10; Satisfies the American History &…POLI 10; Satisfies the American History & Institutions (AHI) requirement 4 units of elective credit | |
| 5 | 4 | POLI 11 4 units of elective credit | |
| A (Java Programming) | 3 | 8 Elective Credit Only Meets two-course…8 Elective Credit Only Meets two-course requirement in Quantitative/Formal Skills | |
| AB Calculus | 3 | 4 MATH 10A Meets one of two courses required in…4 MATH 10A Meets one of two courses required in Quantitative/Formal Skills | |
| African American Studies | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only May apply as one lower…4 Elective Credit Only May apply as one lower division course to Regional Specialization: Multiculturalism in North America | |
| BC Calculus | 3 | 8 MATH 20A or 10A, 10B Meets two-course…8 MATH 20A or 10A, 10B Meets two-course requirement in Quantitative/Formal Skills | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 See Chinese Studies Department for Placement…8 See Chinese Studies Department for Placement Score of 4 or 5 meets ERC Language Proficiency requirement | |
| Comparative | 3 | 4 Elective Credit Only 4 units of elective credit | |
| Composition and Lit | 3 | 8 Meets Entry Level Writing Reqt (ELWR) 8 units…8 Meets Entry Level Writing Reqt (ELWR) 8 units of elective credit | |
| Drawing | 3 | 8 Elective Credit Only Meets Fine Arts Requirement | |
| French, German, Spanish, Italian | 3 | 8 LIxx 1C/CX One course required to meet ERC…8 LIxx 1C/CX One course required to meet ERC Language Proficiency | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 See Japanese Studies Department for Placement…8 See Japanese Studies Department for Placement Score of 4 or 5 meets ERC Language Proficiency requirement | |
| Language and Comp | 3 | 8 Meets Entry Level Writing Reqt (ELWR) 8 units…8 Meets Entry Level Writing Reqt (ELWR) 8 units of elective credit | |
| Latin | 3 | 8 LTLA 1, 2, 3 Usually prepares student to take…8 LTLA 1, 2, 3 Usually prepares student to take LTLA 100 to meet proficiency requirement 8 units of elective credit | |
| Physics 1 or 2 | 3 | 8 Elective credit, and exempts PHYS 10 1 or 2…8 Elective credit, and exempts PHYS 10 1 or 2 exam meets Natural Science requirement | |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 4 PHYS 1B Meets one of two-course requirement in…4 PHYS 1B Meets one of two-course requirement in Natural Science | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 4 PHYS 1A Meets one of two-course requirement in…4 PHYS 1A Meets one of two-course requirement in Natural Science | |
| Research | 3 | Not eligible for credit Score of 3, 4 or 5…Not eligible for credit Score of 3, 4 or 5 fulfills Entry Level Writing Requirement | |
| Seminar | 3 | Not eligible for credit Score of 3, 4 or 5…Not eligible for credit Score of 3, 4 or 5 fulfills Entry Level Writing Requirement | |
| United States | 3 | 4 Satisfies the American History & Institutions…4 Satisfies the American History & Institutions (AHI) requirement 4 units of elective credit |
Source: roosevelt.ucsd.edu · checked September 19, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Cognitive Science | 689 |
| Anatomy | 600 |
| Computer Science | 415 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other | 396 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 384 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 351 |
| Psychology | 351 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 338 |
Show the other 83 majors
| Political Science and Government | 268 |
| Information Technology | 234 |
| Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology | 229 |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 223 |
| Communication | 220 |
| Computer Engineering | 207 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences, Other | 185 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 180 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 176 |
| Biochemistry | 174 |
| Clinical Psychology | 158 |
| Psychology, Other | 147 |
| Public Health, Other | 142 |
| Sociology | 138 |
| Mathematics, Other | 128 |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 126 |
| Applied Mathematics | 116 |
| Bioinformatics | 98 |
| International Public Health/International Health | 96 |
| Structural Engineering | 96 |
| Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography | 96 |
| Chemical Engineering | 89 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 88 |
| Chemistry, Other | 88 |
| Environmental Studies | 79 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 72 |
| Mathematics | 66 |
| Chemistry | 65 |
| History | 65 |
| Real Estate Development | 64 |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts | 64 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 61 |
| Microbiology | 57 |
| Public Health | 55 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | 52 |
| Education | 52 |
| Anthropology | 50 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 50 |
| Political Science and Government, Other | 46 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other | 46 |
| Engineering, Other | 45 |
| Health/Medical Psychology | 44 |
| Fine/Studio Arts | 43 |
| Developmental and Child Psychology | 42 |
| Statistics, Other | 42 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | 42 |
| Social Psychology | 39 |
| Physics, Other | 38 |
| Social Sciences, Other | 36 |
| Management Science | 33 |
| Design and Visual Communications | 31 |
| Physics | 29 |
| Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics | 29 |
| English Language and Literature | 27 |
| Anthropology, Other | 23 |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | 22 |
| Community Health and Preventive Medicine | 22 |
| Geology/Earth Science | 21 |
| Philosophy | 18 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Other | 16 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other | 15 |
| Music | 14 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 12 |
| Physical Sciences, Other | 11 |
| Japanese Studies | 7 |
| Mathematics Teacher Education | 7 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other | 7 |
| International Relations and Affairs | 6 |
| Biophysics | 4 |
| Latin American Studies | 4 |
| Dance | 3 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 3 |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 3 |
| Environmental Health | 2 |
| Economics, Other | 2 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 2 |
| Engineering Physics/Applied Physics | 2 |
| Russian, Central European, East European and Eurasian Studies | 2 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 1 |
| Biostatistics | 1 |
| Animal Physiology | 1 |
| African-American/Black Studies | 1 |
| Chinese Studies | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Ranked programs
Where University of California-San Diego ranks in the top 25 on our top-programs lists, best rank first. How we rank programs
- #6 for Computer engineeringof 50 colleges
- #6 for Ecology and environmental biologyof 50 colleges
- #9 for Aerospace engineeringof 50 colleges
- #9 for Geology and earth sciencesof 50 colleges
- #10 for Microbiology and immunologyof 50 colleges
- #13 for Biochemistryof 50 colleges
- #13 for Electrical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #14 for Biologyof 50 colleges
Show the other 11 ranked programs
- #14 for Civil engineeringof 50 colleges
- #15 for Chemistryof 50 colleges
- #15 for Public healthof 50 colleges
- #15 for Software engineeringof 50 colleges
- #17 for Biomedical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #18 for Neuroscienceof 50 colleges
- #18 for Physicsof 50 colleges
- #19 for Mechanical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #20 for Computer scienceof 50 colleges
- #22 for Mathematicsof 50 colleges
- #23 for Information technologyof 50 colleges
Scholarships
Amounts and eligibility change; check the college’s page for current details.
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Big West Conference
Baseball, Basketball, Fencing, Golf, Rowing, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball, Water Polo
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Big West Conference
Basketball, Fencing, Rowing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball, Water Polo
ROTC
Air Force, Army
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, InterVarsity, Newman Connection, Ratio Christi
Also
Study abroad
Greek life
14% of men in fraternities · 14% of women in sororities · 14% of undergraduates overall (Common Data Set 2022–23)
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), Common Data Set (Greek life), CruAtSD.com · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
City, large
Federal locale classification
Metro area
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
3,298,799 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
Yes
More about the place
Nearest airport
San Diego International (SAN)
Nearest hub airport
San Diego International (SAN)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 12.5 of 20
Elevation
361 ft
Time zone
Pacific
January low
47°F
July high
80°F
Annual snowfall
0.0 in
Days at 90°F or higher
20 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$2,780 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- National University7 mi
- University of San Diego8 mi
- Point Loma Nazarene University11 mi
- San Diego State University12 mi
- San Diego Christian College15 mi
- California State University-San Marcos18 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
Similar colleges
Public, city campus, NCAA Division I, similar size
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor33,730 students
- University of North Texas33,858 students
- San Diego State University34,050 students
- The University of Alabama33,435 students
- California State University-Long Beach34,243 students
- University of California-Berkeley33,078 students