University of San Diego: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
San Diego, California · Private nonprofit · Selective · CDS 2024-2025
University of San Diego is a private institution located in San Diego, California with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of San Diego admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 47%. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $31,265 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of San Diego is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for University of San Diego?
Admitted students at University of San Diego typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does University of San Diego weight in admissions?
University of San Diego reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Class rank
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Volunteer work
- • Interview
- • First generation status
- • Geographical residence
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Standardized test scores
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • State residency
SAT and ACT scores University of San Diego typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
- • Test-blind: University of San Diego does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if submitted.
- • Policy detail: Not Considered
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 35% |
| Top 25% of class | 78% |
| Top 50% of class | 97% |
| % submitting class rank | 30% |
How much does University of San Diego actually cost?
Published tuition is $56,444 for in-state students and $56,444 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,084 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $31,265 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 19% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $61,340 |
| Room and board | $18,230 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $31,265 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of San Diego
| Regular deadline | 1 |
| Notification date | - |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 11/1 |
Will my child graduate from University of San Diego?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Other colleges in California parents ask about
- Stanford University4% acceptance
- University of California-Berkeley12% acceptance
- University of California-Los Angeles9% acceptance
- University of Southern California10% acceptance
- University of California-Davis42% acceptance
- University of California-Irvine26% acceptance
- University of California-San Diego25% acceptance
- University of California-Santa Barbara63% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of San Diego
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of San Diego recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of San Diego
What GPA do I need for University of San Diego?
Admitted students at University of San Diego typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does University of San Diego typically admit?
University of San Diego does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Test-optional policies have made scores less universally required, but submitting strong scores still helps when available.
How much does University of San Diego actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of San Diego after grants and scholarships is $31,265 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of San Diego realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of San Diego is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of San Diego, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.