University of California San Diego
Founded as an experiment in 1960, UC San Diego is located just 12 miles north of downtown San Diego on ~1,200 acres of coastal woodlands in La Jolla. Located atop a cliff overlooking serene beaches and coastline, it is considered one of the most beautiful campuses in the state boasting giant eucalyptus groves, spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, and wide open outdoor spaces for exploration.
The campus sits on the ancestral homelands of the Kumeyaay Nation. Kumeyaay people continue to have an important and thriving presence in the region.
UC San Diego is making waves in the rankings. Globally and nationally, our campus is recognized for improving social mobility, offering a high-quality education at an affordable price, producing powerful research, advancing health care and more. See more in the Campus Profile.
| 42,968 | Total Student Population (Fall 2022) |
| 33,096 | Total number of all undergraduate matriculated students (Fall 2022) |
| 9,532 | Total graduate and professional students |
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| 1st | In 2020 for the fourth year in a row, Times Higher Education ranked UC San Diego 1st among the World’s Top “Golden Age” Universities. |
| 20th | U.S. News and World Report listed UC San Diego as 20th in their latest 2022-2023 Best Global Universities Rankings. |
| 8th | UC San Diego is named the nation’s eighth best public university in the U.S. News & World Report, 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings. |
| 1st | UC San Diego Health ranked first in San Diego and fifth in California, placing it among the nation’s best hospitals, U.S. News and World Report 2022-2023. |
UC History
The University of California began on March 23, 1868, when California Gov. Henry Haight signed the Organic Act, setting in motion the audacious idea that California should have a great public university — one that would serve equally the children of immigrants and settlers, landowners and industrial barons.
UC opened its doors a year later with 40 students and 10 faculty members. In keeping with its egalitarian ideals, UC Regents in 1870 decreed that women would be admitted on the same basis as men — a step many Ivy League colleges did not take for nearly a century. [read more]
Visit the University of California San Diego website and interactive map to learn more about the campus and academic offerings, excite the imagination and explore the possibilities.
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| Colleges of UC San Diego | Stuart Collection | Campus Community Centers |
