University of California, San Diego

If you want to apply to UC San Diego, the deadline for Fall 2023 admissions is November 30 and the fee for the application is $70.

Students who apply to UC San Diego for fall should receive an admissions decision no later than March 31.

UC San Diego Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here's an overiew of some of UC San Diego's admissions stats.

UC San Diego 2022	Admissions Statistics
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	100%
Admissions Test Policy	Not optional and are not considered
Waitlist	Yes

University of California, San Diego Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for University of California, San Diego.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	No	––	––
Early Decision II	––	––	––
Early Action	No	––	––
Regular Decision	Yes	November 30	March 31

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Considering Applying Early to UC San Diego?

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UC San Diego does not offer early decision or early action.

➡️ See a list of some selective colleges that admit significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on University of California, San Diego Admissions

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Is UC San Diego Challenging To Get Into?

UC San Diego is a very difficult school to get into. UC San Diego evaluates applicants carefully based on multiple criteria to decide who to admit, and who to deny or waitlist.

In 2021, UC San Diego accepted 34% of all applicants, about 40,629 from 118,410 applicants.

Schools that are very difficult to get into, like UC San Diego, accept fewer than 60% of all applicants. At least 50% of all admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1230 on the SAT and over 26 on the ACT.

For applicants who are not residents of California, getting into University of California, San Diego is extremely difficult.

Transferring to University of California, San Diego

It is very difficult to be admitted as a transfer student.

For Students Waitlisted to UC San Diego

In 2022, UC San Diego waitlisted 25,419 students and 8,835 accepted a place on the waitlist.

What's Most Important for Getting Into UC San Diego?

Colleges consider a range of factors when determining who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college decides which factors are are most important when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When creating your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and choose schools that put the most emphasis on the admissions factors where you're strong.

Admissions Factors at UC San Diego

Curious about the factors that are considered by UC San Diego during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Academic GPA	Very Important
Application Essay	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
Character/Personal Qualities	Important
Geographical Residence	Important
Extracurricular Activities	Important
State Residency	Important
Talent/Ability	Important
Volunteer Work	Important
Class Rank	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
First Generation	Considered

Make sure to check with UC San Diego for more information on admission factors.

UC San Diego 2022-2023 Application Requirements

To apply to UC San Diego, all applicants must submit the following items. Make sure to check in with UC San Diego's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Interview
Transcript(S) of College Record
Standardized Test Scores
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)
Minimum High School GPA (On 4.0 Scale)	3.0	3.4
Written Essay or Personal Statement	√
Transcript of High School Record	√

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into UC San Diego?

UC San Diego has not provided an information about GPAs of accepted students. Any questions regarding applicant expectations should be addressed directly with the school. At UC San Diego 100% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 100% were in the top 25% and 100% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At University of California, San Diego, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	82.5%
3.75 and 3.99	14%
3.50 and 3.74	2.9%
3.25 and 3.49	0.5%
3.00 and 3.24	0.1%
2.50 and 2.9	––
2.00 and 2.49	––

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to UC San Diego directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that reflects your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

UC San Diego does not consider ACT or SAT scores as part of the admissions process.

UC San Diego does not have a test optional admissions policy. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

More Information on Transferring to University of California, San Diego

For transfer students, it is very difficult to get admitted to UC San Diego.

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is November 30. Applicants should hear back by April 28.

Transfer students can enroll in UC San Diego during the following terms:

• Fall Term

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UC San Diego Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to UC San Diego?

❌ Students who are admitted to UC San Diego must attend in the term they start. Deferring admissions is not encouraged. If you have a unusual circumstance, contact the admissions department.

Does UC San Diego accept transfer credits?

✅ UC San Diego accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

Does UC San Diego accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ UC San Diego accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits and Advanced Placement (AP) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to UC San Diego?

✅ UC San Diego is not test optional. Test scores will not be considered during the admissions process, even if you submit them.

What is UC San Diego's acceptance rate?

✅ The acceptance rate for UC San Diego is 34%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at UC San Diego?

❌ UC San Diego does not offer early decision.

Want To Learn More About UC San Diego?

Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

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