UC San Diego vs USC: A Data-Driven Comparison
Admission Difficulty: USC is significantly more selective with a 12% acceptance rate compared to UCSD's 24% rate, making USC nearly twice as competitive for admission.
Cost and Value: The financial gap is substantial. UCSD costs $15,265 for in-state students versus USC's $68,237 tuition. Even for out-of-state students, UCSD ($46,042) remains $22,000 cheaper annually. UCSD's average net price of $11,750 is dramatically lower than USC's $31,927, though graduates leave with similar debt loads ($15,500 vs $18,000).
Academic Strengths: Both universities excel in different areas. UCSD is particularly strong in STEM fields, bioengineering, and research, while USC offers top programs in business, communications, and cinematic arts. USC provides more personalized attention with a 9:1 student-faculty ratio compared to UCSD's 19:1.
Campus Experience: UCSD's La Jolla location offers a quieter, research-focused environment with 33,787 students, while USC's smaller student body (20,817) creates a more intimate urban campus experience in Los Angeles. USC competes in Division I athletics versus UCSD's Division II.
Outcomes: USC graduates earn slightly more ($92,498 vs $84,943 after 10 years), but UCSD offers better value given its lower costs. USC has a higher graduation rate (92% vs 87.6%) and retention rate (96.5% vs 93.9%).
Students seeking affordable, research-focused STEM education should consider UCSD, while those wanting smaller classes, strong alumni networks, and are willing to pay premium costs may prefer USC.
Admission Difficulty: USC is significantly more selective with a 12% acceptance rate compared to UCSD's 24% rate, making USC nearly twice as competitive for admission.
Cost and Value: The financial gap is substantial. UCSD costs $15,265 for in-state students versus USC's $68,237 tuition. Even for out-of-state students, UCSD ($46,042) remains $22,000 cheaper annually. UCSD's average net price of $11,750 is dramatically lower than USC's $31,927, though graduates leave with similar debt loads ($15,500 vs $18,000).
Academic Strengths: Both universities excel in different areas. UCSD is particularly strong in STEM fields, bioengineering, and research, while USC offers top programs in business, communications, and cinematic arts. USC provides more personalized attention with a 9:1 student-faculty ratio compared to UCSD's 19:1.
Campus Experience: UCSD's La Jolla location offers a quieter, research-focused environment with 33,787 students, while USC's smaller student body (20,817) creates a more intimate urban campus experience in Los Angeles. USC competes in Division I athletics versus UCSD's Division II.
Outcomes: USC graduates earn slightly more ($92,498 vs $84,943 after 10 years), but UCSD offers better value given its lower costs. USC has a higher graduation rate (92% vs 87.6%) and retention rate (96.5% vs 93.9%).
Students seeking affordable, research-focused STEM education should consider UCSD, while those wanting smaller classes, strong alumni networks, and are willing to pay premium costs may prefer USC.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| University of California-San Diego | University of Southern California | |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance Rate | 23.7% | 12.0% |
| SAT Average | 1,500 | |
| Enrollment | 33,787 | 20,817 |
| In-State Tuition | $15,265 | $68,237 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $46,042 | $68,237 |
| Net Price | $11,750 | $31,927 |
| Graduation Rate (6-year) | 87.6% | 92.0% |
| Retention Rate | 93.9% | 96.5% |
| Median Earnings (10yr) | $84,943 | $92,498 |
| Median Debt | $15,500 | $18,000 |
Top Programs by Earnings
Top 5 bachelor's programs at each school, ranked by median graduate earnings.
| University of California-San Diego | University of Southern California | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Program | Earnings | Program | Earnings |
| Computer Science. | $86,972 | Computer Software and Media Applications. | $108,649 |
| Computer Engineering. | $79,688 | Computer Science. | $91,986 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology. | $71,015 | Computer Engineering. | $90,602 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering. | $69,606 | Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering. | $80,567 |
| Mechanical Engineering. | $67,846 | Industrial Engineering. | $78,029 |