UC Davis vs. UC San Diego: Admissions, Costs & Outcomes
Compare published UC Davis and UC San Diego profiles as a starting point for campus research. Check access to your intended degree, housing and transportation, and family-specific costs; institution-wide outcomes are not promises about a particular program.
Published profile snapshots
How to read this comparison
These are cited institution-wide profile figures, not a new ranking or program-specific admission rates. Source vintages are preserved as recorded and may be snapshot dates rather than cohort years. Reporting periods and populations may differ. Missing values or unavailable public evidence mean data is not available, not zero; do not use acceptance rates as personal odds or average net prices as family-specific offers.
SAT sections are shown separately as midpoints, not a composite range or a prediction. Tuition excludes other attendance costs. Completion covers first-time, full-time students within 150% of normal program time, not every student.
Measures with no available data for either university are omitted. When only one university reports a measure, the other is marked Not available.
| Measure | University of California-Davis | University of California-San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Davis, CA | La Jolla, CA |
| Institution type | Public | Public |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 32,253 | 34,948 |
| Overall admission rate | 42% | 27% |
| Annual in-state tuition | $16,774 | $16,758 |
| Annual out-of-state tuition | $50,974 | $50,958 |
| Average annual net price | $14,741 | $12,470 |
| Completion within 150% of normal time (first-time, full-time students) | 86% | 86% |
Use differences to guide your next questions
Enrollment and campus setting describe scale and location; they do not tell you which teaching environment you will prefer. Confirm class structure, advising, housing, commuting, and access to your intended degree with each campus.
Compare official net price calculator estimates using the same household assumptions. Verify campus-specific admission pathways and current requirements separately. The preferred campus depends on your goals, not on one statistic.
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Sources and further research
Sources and reporting vintages are available below. Open each college profile for additional context.
View sources and reporting vintages
University of California-Davis
- College Scorecard | Source vintage: 2026-06-10. Undergraduate enrollment; Overall admission rate; Annual in-state tuition; Annual out-of-state tuition; Average annual net price; Completion within 150% of normal time (first-time, full-time students).
University of California-San Diego
- College Scorecard | Source vintage: 2026-06-10. Undergraduate enrollment; Overall admission rate; Annual in-state tuition; Annual out-of-state tuition; Average annual net price; Completion within 150% of normal time (first-time, full-time students).