University of California-San Diego Acceptance Rate
La Jolla, California · Public · 4-year or above
- Applicants
- 130,771
- Admitted
- 32,062
- Yield
- 21.8%
- Test policy
- Test-blind
Latest official IPEDS 2023–24 · School-reported CDS 2024–25 · Updated July 2026
Acceptance rate & applications over time
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.
Over the 10 years of federal data, University of California-San Diego's acceptance rate has fallen from 33.3% in 2014–15 to 24.5% in 2023–24. Applications grew from 73,448 to 130,771 (+78%) over that period.
Its 24.5% rate makes University of California-San Diego more selective than about 94% of the 1,419 schools tracked here. Among 84 tracked California schools, it is more selective than about 85%.
In 2023–24, women were admitted at a higher rate (27.8% for women vs 20.9% for men, a 6.9-point gap). University of California-San Diego has been test-blind (scores not considered) since 2021–22. Of admitted students, 21.8% enrolled (the yield rate) in 2023–24.
Reported by University of California-San Diego in its Common Data Set, one year ahead of the latest federal figures. Source ↗
- Applicants
- 134,455
- Admitted
- 35,989
- Acceptance
- 26.8%
- Yield
- 20.4%
Full year-by-year table
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 73,448 | 24,449 | 33.3% | 4,922 |
| 2015–16 | 78,061 | 26,335 | 33.7% | 5,292 |
| 2016–17 | 84,208 | 30,028 | 35.7% | 5,748 |
| 2017–18 | 88,446 | 30,061 | 34% | 5,699 |
| 2018–19 | 97,894 | 29,428 | 30.1% | 6,707 |
| 2019–20 | 99,114 | 31,200 | 31.5% | 6,015 |
| 2020–21 | 100,062 | 36,634 | 36.6% | 6,447 |
| 2021–22 | 118,386 | 40,493 | 34.2% | 7,544 |
| 2022–23 | 131,197 | 31,103 | 23.7% | 6,546 |
| 2023–24 | 130,771 | 32,062 | 24.5% | 7,005 |
Acceptance rate by gender
| Group | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 69,235 | 19,225 | 27.8% |
| Men | 61,536 | 12,837 | 20.9% |
SAT / ACT ranges & policy
Test-blind (not considered).
How University of California compares
Where this school sits among peers of similar selectivity — each dot is a school's current acceptance rate on the same scale.
Frequently asked
What is University of California-San Diego's acceptance rate?
University of California-San Diego's acceptance rate is 24.5% for 2023–24, the most recent year of federal IPEDS data (32,062 admitted of 130,771 applicants).
Is University of California-San Diego test optional?
University of California-San Diego is test-blind: SAT/ACT scores are not considered in admission.
How many people apply to University of California-San Diego?
University of California-San Diego received 130,771 applications in 2023–24 and admitted 32,062.
Is University of California-San Diego getting harder to get into?
University of California-San Diego has become harder to get into: its acceptance rate went from 33.3% in 2014–15 to 24.5% in 2023–24.
How this is calculated
Acceptance rate = admitted ÷ applicants, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates, from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS Admissions (ADM) survey; institution details from the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics (HD) survey. Data span: 2014–15 to 2023–24. Official site: www.ucsd.edu/.