UCSD vs. Oxy

Should I go to University of California San Diego or Occidental College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSD or Oxy is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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University of California San Diego vs. Occidental College comparison
University of California San Diego Occidental College College 3 College 4
University of California San Diego Occidental College
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Overview

UCSD Oxy
Location La Jolla, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 42,006 1,942
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #89 #72
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsd.edu oxy.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSD Oxy
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $59,970
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $59,970
Room & Board $16,710 $17,330
Avg Net Price $16,111 $44,853
Avg Grant Aid $20,782 $33,025
% Receiving Grant Aid 55% 76%

Admission

UCSD Oxy
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 131,197 6,305
Admitted 31,103 2,484
Acceptance Rate 23.7% 39.4%
Enrolled % 21% 21.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.63
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High High
ACT Range 28/34 31/34
SAT Range 1270/1480 1370/1510
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Jan 10, 2025

Academics

UCSD Oxy
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (23%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)

Outcomes

UCSD Oxy
Graduation Rate 85% 83%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $67,900 $56,600
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,500 $23,652
Median Loan Payment $191 $244

Diversity

UCSD Oxy
% Men 50% 41%
% Women 50% 59%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 21% 49%
% Black 1% 5%
% Hispanic 16% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 9%
% International 17% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

UCSD Oxy
% In-State 81% 34%
% Out-of-State 8% 61%

Campus

UCSD Oxy
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California San Diego is larger than than Oxy based on total student enrollment (42,006 students vs. 1,942 students)

UCSD vs. Oxy Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSD or Oxy?

  • Occidental College is 418.6% more expensive to attend than UCSD for in-state tuition ($59,970.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 44% higher at Oxy than University of California San Diego ($59,970.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California San Diego than Oxy ($16,111 vs. $44,853)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California San Diego are 3.7% lower than costs at Occidental College ($16,710 vs. $17,330)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Occidental College than University of California San Diego (76% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Occidental College students is 58.9% larger than aid received University of California San Diego ($33,025 vs. $20,782)

UCSD vs. Oxy Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCSD or Oxy? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Oxy or UCSD .

  • The average SAT score at University of California San Diego (1344) is 40 points higher than at Oxy (1304)
  • Incoming UCSD students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Oxy (30)
  • Accepted freshman UCSD students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at Oxy (3.63)
  • Oxy has a higher acceptance rate (39.4%) than UCSD (23.7%)

UCSD vs. Oxy Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSD or Oxy? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Oxy and UCSD.

  • The graduation rate at UCSD is higher than Occidental College (85% vs. 83%)
  • Graduates from University of California San Diego earn on average $11,300 more per year than Oxy graduates after ten years. ($67,900 vs. $56,600)
  • University of California San Diego students graduate with a $5,152 lower median federal student loan debt than Oxy graduates. ($18,500 vs. $23,652)
  • UCSD graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than Oxy graduates. ($191 vs. $244)
  • More Oxy graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSD students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 82%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/