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USD Harvard San Diego State UCSB UCI UCLA UC Davis UW-Seattle Caltech MIT UC Berkeley Duke| University of California San Diego | Stanford University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
UCSD | Stanford | ||
| Location | La Jolla, CA | Stanford, CA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 42,376 | 18,446 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #88 | #2 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | ucsd.edu | stanford.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
UCSD | Stanford | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,834 | $61,731 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $42,611 | $61,731 | ||
| Room & Board | $17,198 | $19,922 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $13,293 | $17,998 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $24,176 | $64,164 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 64% | 55% |
Admission |
UCSD | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 130,771 | 53,733 | ||
| Admitted | 32,062 | 2,099 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 24.5% | 3.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 21.8% | 80.9% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.82 | 3.96 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Exceptional | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 28/34 | 34/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1270/1480 | 1510/1580 | ||
| 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, 2025 | Jan 2, 2026 |
Academics |
UCSD | Stanford | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 19:1 | 6:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
UCSD | Stanford | ||
| Graduation Rate | 85% | 96% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $67,900 | $122,900 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 82% | 88% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $18,500 | $12,475 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $191 | $128 |
Diversity |
UCSD | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 11% | 31% | ||
| % Women | 9% | 25% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 21% | 37% | ||
| % Black | 1% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 16% | 15% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 1% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 10% | ||
| % International | 17% | 9% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 0% |
Students |
UCSD | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 79% | 37% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 10% | 47% | ||
Campus |
UCSD | Stanford | ||
| 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 Stanford based on total student enrollment (42,376 students vs. 18,446 students)
UCSD vs. Stanford Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, UCSD or Stanford?
- Stanford University is 421.6% more expensive to attend than UCSD for in-state tuition ($61,731.00 vs. $11,834.00)
- Out of state tuition is 44.9% higher at Stanford than University of California San Diego ($61,731.00 vs. $42,611.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California San Diego than Stanford ($13,293 vs. $17,998)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California San Diego are 15.8% lower than costs at Stanford University ($17,198 vs. $19,922)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University of California San Diego than Stanford University (64% vs. 55%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Stanford University students is 165.4% larger than aid received University of California San Diego ($64,164 vs. $24,176)
UCSD vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, UCSD or Stanford? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Stanford or UCSD .
- The average SAT score at Stanford University (1479) is 135 points higher than at UCSD (1344)
- Incoming Stanford students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at UCSD (31)
- Accepted freshman Stanford students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at UCSD (3.82)
- UCSD has a higher acceptance rate (24.5%) than Stanford (3.9%)
UCSD vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, UCSD or Stanford? 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 Stanford and UCSD.
- The graduation rate at Stanford is higher than University of California San Diego (96% vs. 85%)
- Graduates from Stanford University earn on average $55,000 more per year than UCSD graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $67,900)
- Stanford University students graduate with a $6,025 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSD graduates. ($12,475 vs. $18,500)
- Stanford graduates are paying $63 less per month on federal student loans than UCSD graduates. ($128 vs. $191)
- More Stanford graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSD students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 82%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/