Admissions Factors

What UC San Diego Looks For

UC San Diego rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA and application essay.

How UC San Diego rates each factor

Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.

Very important

Important

Considered

Not considered

The numbers behind the class

Overall admit rate

28.6%

39,054 of 136,750 applicants

Early decision admit rate

No early decision

Admitted from the waitlist

20.8%

5,284 of 25,411 who stayed on it

Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.88. 100% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.

Email me what UC San Diego looks for

A link to this page, plus the comparison table for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

What does UC San Diego look for in applicants?

UC San Diego rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA and application essay.

Does UC San Diego consider legacy status?

UC San Diego rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.

Does UC San Diego track demonstrated interest?

UC San Diego rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".

What is UC San Diego's waitlist acceptance rate?

25,411 students stayed on the waitlist and 5,284 were admitted, a rate of 20.8%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.

Source: UC San Diego’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.