University of California, San Diego

Overview

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is among the most highly regarded universities in the United States. Having a land area of over 2,000 acres, this public university features more than 200 programs for undergraduate and graduate students.

UCSD houses seven colleges for undergraduates and seven graduate schools. Meanwhile, its vast number of programs are under four main academic departments: physical sciences, biological sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities. Aside from its traditional programs, the university offers online courses powered by its own digital learning hub, Teaching + Learning Commons, which also assesses student and instructional performance.

UCSD’s main campus is composed of more than 700 buildings and has a large space for natural reserves. Moreover, the campus has four expansive venues for performance art, more than a dozen art installations displayed, and a medical library. The university’s eight-floor Geisel Library is also home to more than 7 million archived works, spanning various fields, including oceanography, history, entertainment, and gastronomy.

Established in 1960, UCSD started out as a marine field station called Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which was annexed by the University of California. A campus was later built around the facility to eventually become UCSD. Even before the campus was established, the institute’s research activity has recorded breakthroughs, paving the way for the university’s commitment to research.

As of 2020, UCSD has 19 research facilities and has forged ties with other research organizations in the region, earning it a Carnegie Classification of “R1: Doctoral University” as well as recognition from national and international university ranking systems. As such, it has attracted over a dozen Nobel laureates and other award-winners in the fields of science and mathematics to teach and conduct their research on campus.

Given its strong research background, UCSD has produced luminaries in the scientific field such as Craig Venter (president of the group responsible for decoding the human genome), Susumu Tonegawa (Picower Institute for Learning and Memory founder), and Polly Matzinger (recognized for her work on immunology). Interestingly, the school also has its share of renowned entrepreneurs, entertainers, journalists, and politicians in its alumni roster.

Looking ahead, UCSD envisions to enforce innovation and influence economic growth through its transformative means of instruction and research. It continues to attract learners and researchers locally and internationally, enrolling over 30,000 students annually and having approximately 4,000 educators on campus. Last but not least, the university is home to numerous student organizations and a wide spectrum of extracurricular fields, including athletics and arts groups.

You can also learn more about the educational performance of University of California, San Diego in our ranking of US universities & colleges.