UCSD Housing Costs

$4,735 Other Living Expenses Typical Cost

What is the Cost of Living at UCSD?

Make the best college choice by understanding the true cost of college. Start by understanding the yearly costs at University of California-San Diego.

On this page you will find:

Outline of Housing Costs
Room & Board Trends and Total Expenses
Meal Plans and Housing Requirements
References

Room and Board Expenses at UCSD

This school offers students a combined housing and dining plan. The cost of living on campus for a standard student was about $18,970 in 2026. All in all, a typical on-campus student at University of California-San Diego faced a yearly bill of about $30,879 in 2026 for room, board, books and other living costs combined.

The table below shows the expected costs of on-campus and off-campus housing and dining plans for University of California-San Diego.

Expense	On Campus	Off Campus
Room and Board	$24,858	$25,415
— Housing	$18,970
— Meals	$5,888
Other Living Expenses	$4,735	$5,546
Books and Supplies	$1,286	$1,286
Total	$30,879	$32,247

Room & Board Trends and Total Expenses? Forecasted Cost is $143,517

Housing and dining costs rarely hold still from one year to the next. Projecting the trend helps you plan for all four years instead of only the first.

Over the course of obtaining your degree, expect on-campus living costs near $143,517 in room, board and other essentials.

This is how on-campus room and board has tracked over the last few years, plus a forward projection, at University of California-San Diego.

Year	Room & Board
Three Years Ago	$20,308
Two Years Ago	$20,959
One Year Ago	$21,933
Most Recent Year (2026)	$24,858
One Year From Now *	$26,714
Two Years From Now *	$28,709
Three Years From Now *	$30,853
Four Years From Now *	$33,157

* estimated

On-campus room and board has trended up an average of 7.5% each year. If current trends continue, incoming first-year students would pay about $32,735 for room, board and essentials in year one.

By their final year, a student might pay about $39,178 for a bachelor’s degree, while a two-year (associate) student would pay around $34,730 in the final year of a two-year (associate) degree.

Over the entire degree (assuming you graduate on time), the total comes to about $143,517 over four years — compared with roughly $67,465 for two years on campus.