Paying for UCSD
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
$47,676 ($15,788)
Graduate Tuition & Fees
$30,199 ($15,097)
On-campus Living Costs
$24,858
Off-campus Living Costs
$25,415
The 2025 tuition & fees of University of California-San Diego are $15,788 for California residents and $47,676 for out-of-state students. For graduate programs, the tuition & fees are $15,097 for California residents and $30,199 for out-of-state students.
Compared to Public, 4-Years Colleges in California, the undergraduate tuition & fees are very expensive and the graduate tuition & fees are expensive.
Compared to similar schools in rankings such as Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus and University of Virginia-Main Campus, tuition & fees of University of California-San Diego is average where the average tuition & fees of the schools are $42,271.
The average living cost of the school is $24,858 when a student lives in on-campus housing. When a student lives off-campus, the average living cost is $25,415.
*Data Source: 2024-2025 Tuition & Fees - NCES (Last Update: 6/05/2025)
2025 Tuition and Comparison Chart
The following chart visualizes the UCSD's 2025 tuition & fees and compares to similar schools by school type, level, and location.
2025 Tuition & fees
The 2025 undergraduate tuition & fees at University of California-San Diego are $15,788 for California residents and $47,676 for out-of-state students. The undergraduate tuition & fees have increased by 3.55% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition & fees are $15,097 for California residents and $30,199 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition & fees have increased by 1.90% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition & fees and the tuition trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Residents | Out-of-State | California Residents | Out-of-State | |
| 2021 | $14,648 | $44,402 | $13,529 | $28,631 |
| 2022 | $14,700 | $44,454 | $13,564 | $28,666 |
| 2023 | $14,906 | $44,978 | $13,903 | $29,005 |
| 2024 | $15,265 | $46,042 | $14,535 | $29,637 |
| 2025 | $15,788 | $47,676 | $15,097 | $30,199 |
Living Costs
The 2025 average on-campus living costs is $24,858 including room & board and other living expenses (a student lives in on-campus housing such as dormitory and school-owned apartment). For students living in off-campus housing, the average living cost is $25,415.
The living cost at the school has increased by 13.34% from last year.
The following table and chart show the living costs changes over the last 5 years.
| Year | On-Campus | Off-Campus | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room & Board | Other Expenses | Room & Board | Other Expenses | |
| 2021 | $15,336 | $4,203 | $13,749 | $4,900 |
| 2022 | $16,145 | $4,163 | $14,383 | $4,881 |
| 2023 | $16,710 | $4,249 | $14,372 | $4,982 |
| 2024 | $17,198 | $4,735 | $15,566 | $5,546 |
| 2025 | $18,970 | $5,888 | $18,404 | $7,011 |
Books & Supplies Costs Trends Chart
The 2025 average cost for purchasing books & supplies is $1,286 at University of California-San Diego. The books & supplies cost has decreased by 0.98% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 books & supplies costs and the trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Books & Supplies Costs |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,124 |
| 2022 | $1,152 |
| 2023 | $1,175 |
| 2024 | $1,307 |
| 2025 | $1,286 |