TL;DR: UC San Diego admitted 27.2% of first-year applicants for fall 2026: 38,571 offers from 141,767 applicants on UC’s San Diego admit data page (141,752 in UC’s January applicant table). By our calculation from UC Office of the President tables, 37.2% of domestic out-of-state applicants were admitted, against 24.1% of California residents and 27.4% of international applicants. Admitted students had a High School GPA (UC’s A-G GPA from 10th and 11th grade, with honors credit) of 4.12 to 4.28 in the middle range. For fall 2027, the UC application is filed between October 1 and November 30, 2026; UC does not consider SAT or ACT scores and has no early round. The real gate for many out-of-state applicants is the major: Data Science, Public Health and the majors in five engineering departments, including Computer Science and Engineering, are selective. To plan a UC San Diego application with Oriel Admissions, schedule a consultation.
What Is the UC San Diego Acceptance Rate?
The UC San Diego acceptance rate for fall 2026 is 27.2%: 38,571 offers of admission from 141,767 first-year applicants on UC’s San Diego admit data page, or 141,752 applicants in UC’s January application table, in preliminary counts the University of California published in July 2026 (UC Office of the President, fall 2026 admissions fact sheet). That compares with 28.4% for fall 2025 and 26.8% for fall 2024: applications rose by 7,313 and admits by 2,587 from fall 2024 to fall 2026, while the overall rate stayed between 26.8% and 28.4%. The residency split is the number that matters for a family reading this page: by our calculation, California residents were admitted at 24.1%, domestic out-of-state applicants at 37.2%, and international applicants at 27.4%.
| Cycle | Applicants | Admits | Overall rate | California residents | Domestic out-of-state | International |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | 141,752 | 38,571 | 27.2% | 24.1% | 37.2% | 27.4% |
| Fall 2025 | 136,728 | 38,846 | 28.4% | 24.7% | 39.4% | 30.6% |
| Fall 2024 | 134,439 | 35,984 | 26.8% | 26.0% | 33.6% | 22.4% |
UC San Diego first-year admissions, fall 2024 to fall 2026, by our calculation from the UC Office of the President preliminary application tables (fall 2026 applicants as of January 21, 2026) and admit tables (fall 2026 admits as of June 17, 2026). Rates are admits divided by applicants within each residency group.
Two things stand out across the three cycles. Out-of-state applicants have been admitted at a higher rate than California residents in every year shown (33.6% against 26.0% in fall 2024, 37.2% against 24.1% in fall 2026), which, in our experience, is the reverse of the pattern at most public flagships: the University of Washington, for example, admitted 45.7% of Washington residents and 42.2% of nonresidents for fall 2025, by our calculation from its Common Data Set 2025-2026 (see our Washington out-of-state acceptance rate guide). That reversal is the reason the rest of this page is written for out-of-state families. The international rate rose from 22.4% for fall 2024 to 30.6% for fall 2025 before easing to 27.4% for fall 2026. Sources for each year: fall 2024 applications, fall 2024 admits, fall 2025 applications, fall 2025 admits, and the fall 2026 fact sheet. Our guide to UC acceptance rates by campus puts these numbers next to the other eight campuses.
What Is the UC San Diego Acceptance Rate for Out-of-State Students?
For fall 2026, the UC San Diego acceptance rate for domestic out-of-state applicants was 37.2%, based on preliminary University of California systemwide data reflecting offers as of June 17, 2026. That figure sits 13.1 points above the 24.1% admit rate for California residents and well above the 27.2% overall rate. Out-of-state applicants made up about 19% of the first-year pool (26,835 of 141,752) but 26% of admitted students (9,995 of 38,571), by the same calculation.
| Applicant Group | Applications | Admits | Admit Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| California residents | 89,437 | 21,589 | 24.1% |
| Domestic out-of-state | 26,835 | 9,995 | 37.2% |
| International | 25,480 | 6,987 | 27.4% |
| All first-year applicants | 141,752 | 38,571 | 27.2% |
Source: rates computed from the UC Office of the President fall 2026 preliminary application table (as of January 21, 2026) and admissions fact sheet (offers as of June 17, 2026). Figures may shift as waitlist offers are finalized.
Why Does UC San Diego Admit Out-of-State Applicants at a Higher Rate?
In our view, two forces drive the gap and one limits it. First, revenue: for 2026-27, Nonresident Supplemental Tuition is $39,270 a year on top of systemwide tuition and fees, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Second, yield: in our experience, admitted nonresidents enroll at lower rates than Californians, so a campus extends more offers per seat it expects to fill. The limit is enrollment policy: state law includes legislative intent that nonresidents make up no more than 18 percent of undergraduates at each UC campus, and UC San Diego is one of three campuses (with UC Berkeley and UCLA) that were above that level and were given several years to reduce nonresident enrollment; the LAO says their nonresident shares leveled off somewhat in 2025-26, at 19 to 20 percent.
The advantage is campus-specific, not systemwide. By our calculation, UC Berkeley admitted out-of-state applicants at 10.0% for fall 2026, below its 12.4% in-state rate, and UC Merced also admitted out-of-state applicants at a lower rate than residents (85.7% against 99.1%, though Merced’s California count includes students offered admission through UC’s referral process). UC San Diego also admits out-of-state applicants at a higher rate than residents, 13.1 points higher for fall 2026, though by a smaller margin than UC Irvine (26.8 points), UC Santa Barbara (29.3) or UC Davis (36.2), by the same calculation. In our experience, that combination of selectivity and a nonresident admission edge is why UC San Diego often sits in the middle of out-of-state UC lists, between the reaches and the likelier admits.
What Academic Profile Does UC San Diego Expect?
Admitted first-years for fall 2026 had a middle-range High School GPA of 4.12 to 4.28 on UC’s San Diego admit data page. UC defines that GPA as the A-G grade point average from 10th and 11th grade coursework, including up to eight semesters of honors courses, so it is not directly comparable to the GPA on most school transcripts. In our experience it reflects a near-unblemished record with a sustained AP or IB load. Families can convert a transcript with our UC GPA calculator.
UC does not consider SAT or ACT scores when making admission decisions or awarding scholarships under the systemwide UC test-free policy; scores can be used only to meet minimum eligibility requirements or for course placement after enrollment. UC does not require or read letters of recommendation at the time of application, and UC San Diego holds no interviews. The application therefore rests on the transcript, the activities list, the personal insight questions and the context of the student’s school, which concentrates weight on grades, rigor and writing.
How Do Selective Majors Change the Out-of-State Strategy?
UC San Diego designates its most oversubscribed programs as selective majors: Data Science (all majors, including the joint Business Data Science major), Public Health (all majors), and all majors in five Jacobs School of Engineering departments: Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. UC San Diego strongly suggests that applicants to a selective major list an alternate major that is not selective, and says students not admitted to a selective major may be admitted to the alternate or as undeclared.
Switching in later is possible but not dependable. Continuing students with at least a 2.0 UC GPA who completed every screening course with a C- or higher may apply in the annual summer cycle, typically after the first or second year, and may apply a second and final time after the second year. UC San Diego says there is no guarantee that continuing students will be able to declare a selective major, that students should not count on switching, and that there is no appeal. In our experience, enrolling with a plan to switch into computer science later is a hope rather than a strategy, so the alternate major should be a non-selective program the student would genuinely complete.
What Does UC San Diego Cost an Out-of-State Family?
| UC systemwide average estimate for a new nonresident, 2027-28 | On campus |
|---|---|
| UC tuition (including Nonresident Supplemental Tuition) | $57,300 |
| Campus fees | $1,900 |
| Campus housing and meals | $21,700 |
| Health insurance allowance or fee | $3,900 |
| Books, supplies and personal transportation | $5,300 |
| Total estimated cost | $90,100 |
Source: University of California, tuition and cost of attendance, estimated average costs for nonresidents, 2027-28. For California residents, UC lists 2027-28 tuition of $16,278. Campus totals vary: UC San Diego’s own 2026-27 estimate for a new nonresident living on campus is $86,553.
UC San Diego publishes its own budget: for 2026-27, it estimates $86,553 for a new undergraduate who is not a California resident and lives on campus, including $21,519 in tuition and fees, $20,742 for housing and food and $39,270 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition (UC San Diego Financial Aid and Scholarships, 2026 cohort). Two further facts should anchor the budget. First, under UC’s Tuition Stability Plan, systemwide tuition, Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and student services fees stay flat for up to six years from entry; housing, food and campus fees are not part of the plan. Second, UC says obtaining residency is extremely difficult for undergraduates with nonresident parents and that virtually all of them remain nonresidents for their entire undergraduate career, and UC says very limited UC financial aid is available to students from other states, though it will help them receive any federal aid for which they are eligible. Out-of-state families should plan on about $87,000 to $90,000 a year, between UC San Diego’s 2026-27 figure and UC’s 2027-28 systemwide estimate of $90,100. In our view, that is in the same range as many private universities, which is why the admitted major, not the admission itself, decides whether the investment makes sense.
What Should Out-of-State Applicants Do to Stand Out?
For fall 2027, the UC application opened August 1, 2026, and the filing period runs October 1 to November 30, 2026. Oriel Admissions advises treating November 15, 2026 as the working deadline so the final two weeks absorb technical problems rather than create them. Because every UC campus reads the same file, the four personal insight question responses should be written to the standard of the most selective campus on the list and should show sustained, concrete work in the intended major, particularly for selective majors, where the reader is deciding whether to hand the student a seat in computer science, not just a seat at the university.
UC San Diego offers no Early Decision or Early Action round. That makes UC applications the rare part of a list that coexists cleanly with a binding Early Decision bid at a private university: the student files the UC application by November 30, 2026, can pair it with an Early Decision II application at colleges that offer one (most Early Decision I deadlines of November 1 have passed), and loses nothing if the ED result arrives first. In our experience, most out-of-state families file to four to six UC campuses, at $80 per campus ($95 for international applicants), pairing UC San Diego with UC Berkeley or UCLA as reaches and UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, or UC Davis as likelier admits.
Frequently Asked Questions About the UC San Diego Acceptance Rate
By the numbers, yes. For fall 2026, UC San Diego admitted 37.2% of domestic out-of-state applicants against 24.1% of California residents, by an Oriel Admissions calculation from UC Office of the President tables. The advantage matters less inside selective majors such as Computer Science and Engineering.
In our view, it depends on the major offered. UC San Diego estimates $86,553 for a new nonresident living on campus in 2026-27, and UC estimates $90,100 systemwide for 2027-28. In our experience, the value case is strongest for students admitted directly into their intended selective major and weakest for students placed in an alternate they do not want.
Rarely. UC says obtaining residency is extremely difficult for undergraduates with nonresident parents and that virtually all of them remain nonresidents for their entire undergraduate career. Budget all four years at the nonresident rate, which the Tuition Stability Plan holds flat from the year of entry.
No. UC does not consider SAT or ACT scores when making admission decisions or awarding scholarships. Scores may be used only to meet minimum eligibility requirements or for course placement after enrollment.
The student may be admitted to the alternate major or as undeclared. Continuing students can apply to switch with at least a 2.0 UC GPA, at most twice, with no guarantee and no appeal, so the alternate should be a major the student would genuinely complete.
No. There is a single filing period, October 1 to November 30, 2026 for fall 2027, with no early round and no interviews, and UC lists March 1 to 31, 2027 for decisions, with some campuses releasing earlier. That leaves room for a binding Early Decision application at a private university, which after the November 1 Early Decision I deadlines usually means an Early Decision II round at colleges that offer one.
Data Science (including Business Data Science), Public Health, and all majors in Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
One application covers all nine undergraduate campuses, with a fee of $80 per campus ($95 for international and non-immigrant applicants). In our experience, four to six campuses across reach, target and likely bands work well for most out-of-state applicants.
Sources: UC San Diego Financial Aid and Scholarships, undergraduate cost of attendance; UC Admissions, who can get financial aid; University of Washington Seattle Common Data Set 2025-2026; UC Admissions, San Diego first-year admit data; UC Office of the President, fall 2026 admissions fact sheet; UC Office of the President, fall 2026 application table; UC Admissions, dates and deadlines; UC tuition and cost of attendance; UC San Diego selective major process; UC San Diego selective major FAQ; Legislative Analyst’s Office, nonresident tuition rates at UC (May 2026).
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our team brings deep expertise across every dimension of the application, and our distinctive 360 approach develops strategy, positioning, activities, essays, and interviews as one coherent whole. To discuss your family’s admissions strategy, schedule a consultation.
