1.  [College research](/)
2.  /
3.  [University of California-San Diego](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/)
4.  /
5.  Admissions & selectivity

Admissions & selectivity

Copy linkPrint brief

# University of California-San Diego Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-california-san-diego/similar/)

**On this page**+

## What is the acceptance rate at UC San Diego?

UC San Diego’s reported acceptance rate is 26.7%.

**Acceptance rate · Fall 2024**
26.7%

Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle.

First-year applicants and admitted students · CDS 2025-26

**Applicants**
136,750

**Admitted**
39,054

Source: University of California-San Diego Common Data Set 2025-26, C1 · first-time, first-year students.

How to interpret the acceptance rate

University of California-San Diego admitted 26.7% of applicants, well below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

## What SAT and ACT scores do UC San Diego students report?

SAT and ACT ranges are not available for UC San Diego in the data shown here. Missing scores do not establish whether tests are required, optional or excluded from review.

Figures cover fall 2024.

## Who enrolls at UC San Diego?

**Pell Grant recipients**
34.2%

**Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group**
34.0%

**First-year retention**
94.0%

Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention.

About these student measures

The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns.

University of California-San Diego enrolls 34,948 undergraduates, a student body shaped by two large entry routes: an estimated 34.0% arrive as transfers or part-time students, and 34.2% receive Pell Grants. That composition means the campus is not defined by a single path in.

A third of students started somewhere else, and a similar share bring federal grant aid.

The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) at University of California-San Diego is 86.1%, well above the peer median of 65.0% for comparable institutions. First-year retention runs at 94.0%, also exceeding the peer median of 83.1%.

Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate of 85.5%, below the overall six-year rate by 0.6 percentage points. Enrolled students can expect a university where the entering class graduates at a rate that outpaces comparable institutions, and where nearly all first-year students return for a second year.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).