University of California, San Diego

The University of California, San Diego is a public university founded in 1960. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 33,792 (Fall 2023), and its campus is located in the city on 1,976 acres. The academic calendar is based on quarters. UC San Diego is ranked 29th among national universities in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges. In-state tuition and fees are $16,815 and out-of-state tuition and fees are $51,015.

UC San Diego is located on the Pacific Ocean side of the San Diego community of La Jolla. The UC San Diego Tritons primarily compete in over 20 NCAA Division II sports organized by the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The university has hundreds of student organizations and a thriving Greek community. All incoming freshmen are eligible for two years of guaranteed on-campus housing, but they are not required to live on campus. The campus has an aquarium and is home to the Large High Performance Outdoor Shake Table, which is used to test the ability of buildings to withstand simulated earthquakes.

The University of California, San Diego includes six undergraduate colleges, five academic departments and five graduate and professional schools. Its School of Medicine and Jacobs School of Engineering are highly ranked. One of UCSD's traditional events is the Festival of the Sun, which began in the 1980s and includes concerts by popular musicians, carnivals, vendors and student booths. UCSF is also known for its International House, where approximately 350 students from more than 30 countries live and study together. Notable UC San Diego alumni include Guy "Bud" Tribble and Bill Atkinson, who helped create the first Apple Macintosh computer, and Mike Judge, an actor, writer, director and producer who created the movie Office Space and the TV series King of the Hill.