by our College Data Analytics TeamHere is what you can expect to pay at University of California-San Diego, covering the cost range, projected degree costs, net price, debt at graduation, default rates, and aid distribution patterns.
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The full cost of attending University of California-San Diego spanned $36,325.00 ranging to $70,525.00 across residency tiers.
Residency made the difference: in-state students paid the lower rate and out-of-state students the higher rate: about $36,325.00 in-state compared with $70,525.00 out-of-state.
The blocks below show what you would pay with no aid, with average aid, and as a low-income student.
| Tuition and fees | $16,758.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $19,567.00 |
| Total cost | $36,325.00 |
| That is 89% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $36,325.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$26,231.00 |
| Net price | $10,094.00 |
| That is 48% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $36,325.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$31,176.00 |
| Net price | $5,149.00 |
| That is 73% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $50,958.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $19,567.00 |
| Total cost | $70,525.00 |
| That is 266% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $70,525.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$26,231.00 |
| Net price | $44,294.00 |
| That is 130% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $70,525.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$31,176.00 |
| Net price | $39,349.00 |
| That is 104% above the national average net price. | |
| Go deeper on the components with the tuition & fees page plus room and board. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years by roughly 4.7% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Freshman year | $5,389.00 | $10,564.00 | $38,017.00 |
| Senior year | $6,177.00 | $12,110.00 | $43,579.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $23,108.00 | $45,301.00 | $163,024.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $8,803.00 | $17,258.00 | $62,106.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $266.00 | $521.00 | $1,876.00 |
| Total amount paid | $31,912.00 | $62,559.00 | $225,130.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Freshman year | $5,389.00 | $10,564.00 | $38,017.00 |
| Senior year | $5,640.00 | $11,056.00 | $39,787.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $11,029.00 | $21,620.00 | $77,804.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $4,201.00 | $8,237.00 | $29,641.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $127.00 | $249.00 | $895.00 |
| Total amount paid | $15,230.00 | $29,857.00 | $107,444.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Freshman year | $41,182.00 | $46,357.00 | $73,809.00 |
| Senior year | $47,207.00 | $53,140.00 | $84,610.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $176,595.00 | $198,788.00 | $316,510.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $67,276.00 | $75,731.00 | $120,579.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $2,032.00 | $2,288.00 | $3,642.00 |
| Total amount paid | $243,871.00 | $274,519.00 | $437,089.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Freshman year | $41,182.00 | $46,357.00 | $73,809.00 |
| Senior year | $43,099.00 | $48,516.00 | $77,247.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $84,281.00 | $94,873.00 | $151,056.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $32,108.00 | $36,143.00 | $57,547.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $970.00 | $1,092.00 | $1,738.00 |
| Total amount paid | $116,389.00 | $131,016.00 | $208,603.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the net-price section.
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the published sticker price. For most students, this is the more useful number than published tuition because it reflects the real out-of-pocket cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $12,470.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $12,150.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $7,487.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $7,864.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $10,389.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $17,131.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $28,113.00 |
Run your own numbers with the University of California-San Diego Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the grants & scholarships detail.
Typical debt at graduation from University of California-San Diego works out to $14,778.00, placing the school in the Low ($10-20k) debt-load classification.
Across borrowers, debt at graduation distributes like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $5,159.00 |
| 25th | $9,200.00 |
| Median (50th) | $14,778.00 |
| 75th | $23,800.00 |
| 90th | $29,000.00 |
How far apart the 10th and 90th percentiles sit tells you how uneven debt outcomes are.
Dig deeper into debt on the student loan debt page.
Debt outcomes vary substantially with family income. The table below divides borrowers into three income tiers:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $14,552.00 |
| Middle income | $14,800.00 |
| High income | $14,792.00 |
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,799.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,700.00 |
First-generation graduates of University of California-San Diego carry $99.00 more than continuing-generation graduates.
The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant for undergraduates from low-income families. Looking at Pell recipients versus non-recipients tells us how debt is distributed across need.
The Pell-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at University of California-San Diego stands at $1,337.00. The Department of Education flags this school for a Pell-debt-inequity pattern.
The default-rate classification at University of California-San Diego is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 2.0% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at University of California-San Diego amount to $950,341,872.00 distributed across 52,879 student borrowers.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid including the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance from the Department of Defense.
| GI Bill recipients | 178 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $19,329.00 |
Read more about military and veteran aid on the veteran aid breakdown.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about University of California-San Diego, consider the following:
Explore the related pages below for a deeper look at the cost picture:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.