B
Good
Score: 67/100
Overall (traditional)
A+
Outcome Rating
90/100 · earnings-weighted

University of San Diego

4-Year Private Non-Profit
📍 San Diego, California 92110
University of San Diego campus, San Diego, CA
University of San Diego campus, San Diego, CA. Photo: Transfeo, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Outcomes
A
88/100
Affordability
F
21/100
Resources
B
69/100
Experience
A+
94/100
Prestige
B
66/100

Two ratings: the overall grade compares colleges the conventional way (outcomes, cost, resources, experience, reputation). The Outcome Rating asks what students earn: 60% wage-adjusted earnings 10 years after enrolling, 25% graduation, 15% retention. Methodology

Quick Stats

9,110
Total Enrollment
82%
Graduation Rate
90%
Retention Rate
14.0:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
47%
Acceptance Rate
N/A
Avg Net Price

Earnings, Debt & Completion

What happens to students who enroll at University of San Diego, from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

$86,522
Median earnings 10 yrs after entry
$64,995
Median earnings 6 yrs after entry
$22,940
Median debt at graduation
83.7%
Completion rate (within 150% of normal time)
20.9%
Students receiving Pell grants

Typical debt at graduation equals about 27% of one year’s median earnings ten years after entry.

Earnings rank: 93rd percentile among bachelor’s-degree-focused colleges after a partial adjustment for local wage levels (CA wage index 1.21). This drives the Outcome Rating.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, retrieved Oct 2026. Earnings are for federally aided students who enrolled, whether or not they graduated.

Earnings by Major at University of San Diego

Median pay of bachelor's degree graduates by field of study, and how each program ranks against every college reporting that major — by raw pay and adjusted for state wage levels. Same school, very different paychecks.

Major1 yr after4 yrs aftervs. nationalRank (pay)Rank (wage-adj.)Median debt
Computer Science$104,948$149,847+40%#32 of 349#37$19,500
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$80,073$110,314+10%#32 of 258#134$29,276
Accounting and Related Services$69,240$109,142+43%#20 of 796#47$24,969
Finance and Financial Management Services$64,819$93,099+12%#94 of 452#163$23,094
Mechanical Engineering$77,962$91,848+-0%#139 of 318#283$26,187
International Business$48,463$85,285+17%#24 of 115#53$19,348
Marketing$56,313$83,562+21%#55 of 516#114$20,569
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology$48,728$83,380+27%#6 of 110#14$27,000
Industrial Engineering$80,644—————
Business Administration, Management and Operations$51,056$79,678+17%#148 of 1176#307$19,899
Real Estate$54,073$78,044-8%#16 of 25#18$19,699
Psychology$35,595$74,178+46%#11 of 1027#26$22,500
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$33,641$72,910+17%#15 of 67#19$25,000
Communication and Media Studies$40,776$68,913+22%#59 of 660#102$24,000
English Language and Literature$22,475$68,752+41%#17 of 576#27$24,000
Political Science and Government$33,040$62,301-2%#273 of 565#393$25,344
International Relations and National Security Studies$50,948$61,509-8%#74 of 118#93$24,100
Biology$54,223$59,950+5%#337 of 841#557$23,118
Natural Resources Conservation and Research—$58,517+6%#81 of 265#146$23,000
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities—$54,474+3%#189 of 476#329—
Sociology$36,476$54,338+3%#182 of 462#299$25,000

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working; small programs are not reported.

For parents & investors

The University of San Diego Town Property Report

  • Avg home value near campus: $1,002,875
  • Avg rent near campus: $2,992/mo
  • Top nearby ZIP by cap rate: 92108 (4.1% cap, San Diego)

Get the free 1-page report: rent-vs-dorm math, the 3 best nearby ZIPs by yield, and the “kiddie condo” strategy parents use.

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🏆 Where University of San Diego Ranks

Rankings based on Repit College Grade among schools offering each program.

🥇
Legal Assistant/Paralegal
of 100 schools
🥇
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology, Other
of 6 schools
#13
Artificial Intelligence
of 20 schools
#16
Medical Informatics
of 34 schools
#17
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
of 100 schools
#20
Communication, General
of 100 schools
#21
Real Estate
of 100 schools
#25
Business Analytics
of 62 schools

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Fees

Category In-State Out-of-State
Tuition $55,690 $55,690
Total Cost (On-Campus) $79,444 $79,444

Financial Aid

86%
Receive Any Aid
21%
Receive Pell Grants
38%
Take Out Loans
N/A
Avg Net Price

Student Demographics

9,110
Total Students
57%
Women
94%
Traditional Age (18-24)

👥 Race & Ethnicity

White 44%
Hispanic 25%
Black 5%
Asian 9%
Two or More 6%
Non-Resident 6%

🏠 Living Arrangements

💻 Learning Mode

In-Person 88%
Fully Online 12%

📊 Age Distribution

18-24 (Traditional) 94%
25-64 (Adult) 4%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at University of San Diego?
University of San Diego has an acceptance rate of 47%. This makes it a moderately selective institution with competitive admission standards.
How much does it cost to attend University of San Diego?
Tuition at University of San Diego is $55,690 for in-state students and $55,690 for out-of-state students .
What is the graduation rate at University of San Diego?
The graduation rate at University of San Diego is 82%. This is considered an excellent graduation rate, indicating strong student success and support systems.
Is University of San Diego a good school?
University of San Diego has a Repit College Score of 67/100 (Grade: B). Our rating evaluates five key factors:
  • Outcomes (A): Graduation and retention rates
  • Affordability (F): Net cost and financial aid access
  • Resources (B): Class sizes and selectivity
  • Experience (A+): Campus life and learning format
  • Prestige (B): Reputation and recognition
How many students attend University of San Diego?
University of San Diego has a total enrollment of 9,110 students. Most students (94%) are traditional college-age (18-24).

Deciding between a dorm and buying near campus? Run the numbers for University of San Diego — four years of dorm costs vs. owning, including what you’d recover at resale. Buy vs Dorm calculator →

🎓 Similar Colleges to University of San Diego

Compare with other 4-Year private non-profit institutions of similar size.

B
Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA · 9,545 students
B
Chapman University
Orange, CA · 9,961 students
B+
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA · 10,256 students
B+
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA · 9,340 students
B
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA · 9,212 students
C+
University of La Verne
La Verne, CA · 5,596 students

Data source: IPEDS 2023-24 | Last updated: October 2026 | Methodology