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College

University of San Diego

#10 in Best Catholic Colleges in America
  • A
    Overall Grade
  • 4 Year
  • San Diego, CA
  • 1,768 reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    A
  2. Value
    A
  3. Diversity
    A
  4. Campus
    A+
  5. Athletics
    B+
  6. Party Scene
    B+
  7. Professors
    A-
  8. Location
    A
  9. Dorms
    A
  10. Campus Food
    A+
  11. Student Life
    A-
  12. Safety
    B
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USD is a highly rated private, Catholic university located in San Diego, California. It is a mid-size institution with an enrollment of 5,499 undergraduate students. Admissions is fairly competitive as the USD acceptance rate is 51%. Popular majors include Finance, Business Administration and Management, and Marketing. Graduating 78% of students, USD alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $48,300.
About University of San Diego...
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I-FCS
Athletic Conference
Pioneer Football League
Address
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
Website
sandiego.edu

University of San Diego Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Admissions

Acceptance Rate
51%
Application Deadline
December 15
SAT Range
1100-1310
ACT Range
26-30
Application Fee
$55
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
No

Test Prep

SAT and ACT Prep Options
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Cost

Net Price
$38,596/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $23,449/ year
  • $30-48k
    $24,637/ year
  • $49-75k
    $28,248/ year
  • $76-110k
    $32,528/ year
  • $110k+
    $42,821/ year
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Academics

Professors
A-
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
14:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
85%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.120 responses
60%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.129 responses
61%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.131 responses

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Finance
    193 Graduates
  • Business Administration and Management
    143 Graduates
  • Marketing
    124 Graduates
  • Communications
    117 Graduates
  • Accounting
    112 Graduates
  • Biology
    76 Graduates
  • Psychology
    70 Graduates
  • Neuroscience and Neurobiology
    60 Graduates
  • English
    56 Graduates
  • Mechanical Engineering
    50 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
5,499Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
4%
Pell Grant
13%
Varsity Athletes
8%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 81 responses
Report
  • Friendly
    27%
  • Well-off
    25%
  • Priviledged
    20%
  • Rich.
    10%
  • Rich/Privileged/Rude
    7%
  • Spoiled.
    6%
  • Basic and taken care of
    1%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
96%
Poll
48%
of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.164 responses
Poll
63%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.184 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 78 responses
Report
  • Privileged
    37%
  • Paradise
    17%
  • Successful
    14%
  • Country Club
    10%
  • Academic-driven
    8%
  • Well-rounded
    6%
  • Snobby
    4%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$59,300/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
78%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
92%
National
83%
80%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.66 responses
Colleges like University of San Diego
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University of San Diego Reviews

1,768 reviews
All Categories
I just graduated from USD, and man I miss it so much! The campus is stunningly beautiful, the professors actually care about you and know your name, the food is fantastic, and San Diego is such an amazing city. I know some people may think only rich snobby people go here, but I could not disagree more. Although there is wealth present on campus due to the fact that it is a private school in southern CA, there are plenty of down to earth individuals. I myself was given a large scholarship to USD, and I know many others are in the same position. Additionally, so many opportunities were available to me through USD. I am pre-med, and I was able to work in a lab for 3 years and publish my work, have an internship in the trauma department at Scripps Hospital, and SO much more. Greek life is very present on campus as well and I highly encourage going Greek. I chose USD over a top UC for the personalized education and never regretted my decision.
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Great school, small class sizes, and engaged professors who are willing to work with you and answer your questions. The campus is beautiful, and if you have the chance to stay in the dorms, do so! I especially recommend Maher Hall for the freshmen and for the upperclassmen, the Manchester Apartments.
This was a fantastic experience and broadened my perspective with the diverse community that attends. I came here for grad school after going to a top UC school for undergrad, and I feel that the experience here was much more inviting than my undergrad experience. The professors genuinely care about the success of the students and will go out of there way to help. I think the very diverse student body greatly adds to the experience, and I really enjoyed getting to know so many different people from around the world. The Kroc Institute always had great events going on, and I found it very easy to make friends and meet new people. Very glad I made the decision to come here!