University of San Diego

San Diego, CA · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

University of San Diego admitted 52.4% of applicants university-wide (8,909 of 17,010).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide52.4%8,90917,010
In-state52.8%4,7819,049
Out-of-state52.6%3,7247,085
International applicants49.1%420855
Men51.7%3,2626,311
Women52.8%5,64610,697

Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 8,909 admitted students, 1,104 enrolled (12.4% yield).

University of San Diego Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1210–1370
ACT (mid-50%)
27–32
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.253.99

Testing policy: Test-blind (scores not considered)

University of San Diego Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $86,266/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$61,340
Fees, housing, food, books & other$24,926
Sticker cost of attendance$86,266/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$15,586
$30k–48k$17,441
$48k–75k$19,557
$75k–110k$27,012
Over $110k$46,989

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Alcalá ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Dean's ScholarshipVaries (Merit)
  • Presidential ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Provost ScholarshipVaries (Merit)
  • Trustee ScholarshipVaries (Trustee)
  • USD GrantVaries (Need Based)

International applicants

Some aid available for internationals.

  • Alcalá ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Dean's ScholarshipVaries (Merit)
  • Presidential ScholarshipFull tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Provost ScholarshipVaries (Merit)
  • Trustee ScholarshipVaries (Trustee)

University of San Diego Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Official transcript
  • Test scores (SAT/ACT) (optional)
  • Letters of recommendation (recommended)
  • Supplemental essays (recommended)
  • Application fee

International applicants

  • Official transcript
  • Test scores (SAT/ACT) (optional)
  • Letters of recommendation (recommended)
  • Supplemental essays (recommended)
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)
  • Application fee

University of San Diego Common Data Set · Application requirements · 2024

Essay prompts

The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:

  1. Describe why you are interested in attending the University of San Diego.250 words · Required

Draft these in the free Essay Coach

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$86,522
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
83.7%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
91%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$22,940
At graduation

University of San Diego · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News National: #110
  • WSJ: #98
  • Forbes: #105
  • Niche: #142
  • QS: #1201

Deadlines

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (39%), Biological & life sciences (12%), Social sciences (11%).

Student–faculty ratio: 13:1 · 41% of class sections have under 20 students.

University of San Diego Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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