University of California San Diego

La Jolla, CA | Public SchoolSchool’s Website
DEAN’S LIST UNIVERSITY SCORE:
F

Overview:

Check out why the University of California San Diego received an F grade in our Report Card below.

The University of California San Diego is a public university in San Diego, California with an undergraduate enrollment size of 31,842. The university is located in an urban setting within the San Diego Metropolitan Area. It has a large Greek life influence. Students at the University of California San Diego can attend sporting events within the university and the San Diego area, check out the restaurants and nightlife in downtown San Diego, relax and enjoy watersports at many local beaches, and visit the famed San Diego Zoo. Their official mascot is King Triton. Members of the University of California San Diego are referred to as “Tritons.”

The University of California San Diego offers more than 100 degrees and programs. Notable former students include actor and co-creator of King of the Hill Mike Judge, bass player and vocalist Nathan East, actor Benicio del Toro, Executive Vice President of the Oakland Athletics Billy Beane, and Marxist professor Angela Davis.

Fast Facts:

Acceptance
Acceptance% Rate34%
Student to
Student toFaculty Ratio19:1
Enrollment Size
Enrollment Size(Undergrad number)31,842
In-State
In-StateTuition/Fees$14,733
Out-of-State
Out-of-StateTuition/Fees$44,487
Average Room
Average RoomAnd Board$16,026
Endowment
Endowment $2,600,000,000
4-Year
4-YearGraduation Rate73%
Professors on
Professors onProfessor Watchlist1

REPORT CARD:

The University of California San Diego receives a “C” grade by What Will They Learn? which takes into account the university’s educational prowess. Factors include composition, literature, foreign language, U.S. government or history, economics, mathematics, and natural science.

The university has six colleges that are graded by What Will They Learn? which averages out to a “C” grade.

The University of California San Diego receives an “A+” grade for the Average Salary of Recent Graduates. As of 2021, alumni with 0-5 years of experience after graduating from the University of California San Diego with a bachelor’s degree make $69,300 on average according to Payscale.

The University of California San Diego receives an “A+” grade for the Average Salary of Graduates Mid-Career. As of 2021, alumni with 10+ years of experience after graduating from the University of California San Diego with a bachelor’s degree make $135,300 on average according to Payscale.

The University of California San Diego receives an “A-” grade for the Percent of Graduates with Debt (Federal and Private). In 2020, 41% of graduates accumulated student debt from federal and/or private sources according to The Institute for College Access & Success.

The University of California San Diego receives a “B” grade for the Average Debt of Graduates (Federal and Private). In 2020, graduates accumulated $19,969 of debt on average from federal and/or private sources according to The Institute for College Access & Success.

The University of California San Diego receives a “B” grade for Mandated Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Training for Staff. The university‘s Center for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion offers “a variety of professional development opportunities to support faculty success and satisfaction at UC San Diego. These include:

  • On-campus seminars and webinars
  • Institutional membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD)
  • Sponsored participation in the NCFDD Faculty Success Program
  • Faculty Affinity Networks
  • Summer Writing Retreats and Boosters
  • Funding opportunities”

Prior faculty workshops and events include “Presumed Incompetent II: Empowering Women of Color to Succeed in the Academic Workplace.”

The Center for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion also provides a “Faculty Peer Group Coaching Program” and a “Faculty Leadership Mentor Program.”

While there is an abundance of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity programs for faculty, they all appear to be optional.

The University of California San Diego receives a “C” grade for having a Bias Reporting System but not a Bias Response Team. Bias Reporting Systems and Response Teams are systems or teams of faculty, staff, and sometimes law enforcement.

According to SpeechFirst, students are “encouraged to report ‘bias incidents’ to these boards (or teams) in the name of inclusion and tolerance, but it’s often unclear what the school considers ‘bias’ in the first place. Overly broad or vague definitions of bias put all kinds of speech at risk of being reported – even unpopular speech which is protected by the First Amendment.”

The University of California San Diego receives an “A” grade for the Ratio of Right-Leaning Clubs to Left-Leaning Clubs. Out of a list of 20 clubs (10 from each side), the university has two right-leaning clubs compared to two left-leaning clubs. Turning Point USA and Tritons for Israel are the two right-leaning clubs. Planned Parenthood Generation Action and Queer and Trans* People of Color (QT*POC) are the two left-leaning clubs.

The University of California San Diego receives an “A” grade due to having an active and thriving Turning Point USA chapter. Unfortunately, universities and Student Governments around the country often use their power to prevent certain clubs from operating on campus.

The University of California San Diego receives a “D” grade for In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants. According to the university, “Under California law AB 540, certain nonresident students are exempt from paying nonresident supplemental tuition. If you’re granted an AB 540 exemption, you will be charged in-state tuition and fees, and not the supplemental tuition charged to nonresidents.”

The university defines its in-state tuition qualification requirements.

“Students (including undocumented students) who, for various reasons, are classified as nonresidents may be eligible. You must meet all three of the following requirements to be eligible.

1. Time and coursework requirements:

Either:

  • Attendance for three full-time years or the equivalent at any combination of the following:
  • California high school
  • California adult school (including non-credit courses offered by a California community college)
  • California community college (maximum of two years of credit bearing courses can count toward this requirement)

Or:

2. Degree or unit requirements

Meet one of the following requirements:

  • Graduation from a California high school (or attainment of the equivalent)
  • Attainment of an associate’s degree from a California community college
  • Fulfillment of minimum transfer requirements from a California college to a UC or CSU campus.

3. Signed Nonresident Exemption Request:

You also must have signed the California Nonresident Exemption Request, which states that you meet all the requirements to qualify for AB 540 status and, if you are undocumented, are in the process of adjusting your immigration status (or will do so as soon as you are eligible).”

The University of California San Diego receives an “F” grade for the Amount of Foreign Funding Received. According to College Foreign Gift Reporting, the total amount of foreign funding the university has received is $21,537.37 per current undergraduate student. Oftentimes, foreign parties will convey their influence by funding certain courses, activities, professors, and organizations on campus. In certain cases, universities must abide by restrictions dictated by foreign parties to receive funding. In addition, there have been reports that claim that universities underreport foreign funding. The figure above only takes into account reported foreign funding.

The University of California San Diego receives an “F” grade for Required Equity, Diversity, or Inclusion Courses for Students. The university explains, “A knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion is required of all candidates for a Bachelor’s degree who begin their studies at UC San Diego in lower-division standing in Fall 2011 or thereafter, or in upper-division standing in Fall 2013 or thereafter.”

Courses include, but are not limited to:

  • “Biology of Inequality”
  • “Race and Racisms”
  • “Race, Gender, Sexuality Sci Fi”
  • “Queer Theory”

The University of California San Diego receives a “D” grade for Segregated Dormitories, Graduations, and Classes. The university has three segregated Living Learning Communities (Raza, African Black Diaspora, and LGBTQIA+) and one segregated housing option (Gender Inclusive Housing). The university hosts three segregated graduation ceremonies (Raza, Black, Rainbow). Lastly, the university hosts a segregated orientation.

The university has no segregated classes.

The University of California San Diego receives an “A” grade for Protests and Canceling Speakers. Since 2021, no instances of protests, speech cancelations, or violence/attempted violence against speakers have occurred.

The University of California San Diego receives an “F” grade for Boycotting, Divesting, and Sanctioning Israel (BDS). According to the Jewish Virtual Library, since the start of the 2013-14 school year, the university’s student body has introduced three pieces of legislation that would require the university to divest from any Israeli company and from companies that do business with Israel. One piece of legislation passed while two failed.

Introducing these types of legislation often puts a target on Jewish and pro-Israel students and communities, fostering an environment vulnerable to antisemitism.

The University of California San Diego receives an “F” grade for Mask and Vaccine Mandates. The university describes its rules on vaccinations on its UC COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement page: “The University of California requires all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they will be allowed on campus or in a facility or office.”

The university describes its rules on masking on its Return to Learn Masking and Operations page: “The campus recommends the use of N-95 and KN-95 masks. A face covering/face mask DOES NOT include a scarf, ski mask, balaclava, gaiter, turtleneck, collar, plastic face shield, or a single layer of fabric.”

Additionally, “Masking is currently optional for all students, faculty and staff while outdoors on campus. Attendees at outdoor campus events must wear a face mask if required by the event organizer. Vaccinated students and campus employees who have been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus must also mask outdoors.

Masking is currently required indoors in the following areas:

  • Within all clinical settings (required until further notice)
  • In all indoor areas for those who:
    • Are completing their isolation after testing positive for COVID-19
    • Have been exposed to COVID-19 (must mask 10 days)
    • Are symptomatic but test negative for COVID-19 (must mask until symptoms resolve)

We encourage anyone who feels more comfortable continuing to wear a mask to do so, as masking remains one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce the spread of the virus.”

The University of California San Diego receives a “B+ grade for the Percent of Students Graduating with STEM Degrees. According to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Center (IPEDS), as of 2020, 12.38% of the current undergraduate student population graduate with a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) degree. Across the United States, students who graduate with STEM degrees tend to earn more on average than their other student counterparts.

The University of California San Diego receives a “B” grade for Crime Rates in University City or Town. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Diego, California violent crime rate was 373.13 per 100,000 people in 2018, slightly lower than the 2018 national average of 380.56 per 100,000 people. While campus safety is of utmost importance, it is also pertinent to consider the crime rates of the surrounding town or city as students often tend to venture off campus, especially after their freshman year.

The University of California San Diego receives an “F” grade for Required Western Civilization Courses for Students. The university does not require any course or category of courses designed to teach students about the history of the United States and western civilization as a whole.

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