Real Videos

$2,000 Scholarship

Take a Student-led Tour on CampusReel to Enter
UC Irvine chances calculator

This free college chances tool calculates your acceptance chances at any other U.S. college

Please note all chances are estimates based on test score and GPA averages.

Your SAT Score
*optional
400
1600
my SAT
Your ACT Score
*optional
Select a Score
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • Your GPA*
    on a 4.0 scale

    This complete guide analyzes both the quantitative and qualitative differences between UC Irvine and University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego). This comparison is particularly valuable at understanding the cultural nuances between the colleges since it uses student videos to capture the “vibes” of campus - these videos are exclusively available on CampusReel :)

    Differences between UC Irvine and University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego)

    Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s go through a general overview of the high-level differences between UC Irvine and University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego). The table below summarizes some of the most important statistics around competitiveness, costs, etc.

    UC Irvine University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego)
    In-state Tuition $13,252 $13,530
    Net Price $13,648 $13,913
    Average Financial Aid $8,141 $8,462
    Total Undergraduates 25245 26584
    Average SAT Scores 1030 - 1290 1220 - 1450
    Acceptance Rate 39 34
    Location 501 Aldrich Hall 9500 Gilman Dr
    City Name Irvine La Jolla

    Is UC Irvine or University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) Harder to get into? Which school is easier to get into?

    If you’re looking at acceptance rate alone, then University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) is more difficult to get into. However, each college is looking to fill its incoming class with a variety of students with different strengths, backgrounds, etc.

    Therefore, the acceptance rate alone is not a good indicator that University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) is a better school or will be more difficult for you specifically to get into. On the flipside, UC Irvine is easier to get into based on acceptance rate alone.

    You can use the below college admissions predictor to determine your likelihood of acceptance at either school.

    UC Irvine chances calculator

    This free college chances tool calculates your acceptance chances at any other U.S. college

    Please note all chances are estimates based on test score and GPA averages.

    Your SAT Score
    *optional
    400
    1600
    my SAT
    Your ACT Score
    *optional
    Select a Score
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • Your GPA*
    on a 4.0 scale

    UCI and UCSD student body differences

    UC Irvine , % UCSD,%
    White 14.93 21.44
    Hispanic 25.03 15.58
    Black 1.8499999999999999 1.23
    Foreign 15.72 17.330000000000002
    Others 42.5 44.4

    The UCI campus is located in Irvine, CA and is characterized as City: Midsize (population of at least 100,000 but less than 250,000). The UCSD campus is located in La Jolla, CA and is characterized as City: Large (population of 250,000 or more).

    Which school gives more financial aid?

    UCI provides $8,141 whereas UCSD provides an average of $8,462.

    When analyzing academics between UC Irvine and University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) we’ll look at both what current students are studying and also where they end up after graduation. After all, college should prepare you for a career! Analyzing each school’s outcomes is super valuable to understand the value of the degree.

    Majors UCI UCSD
    Agriculture agriculture operations and related sciences N/A N/A
    Natural resources and conservation 29 40
    Architecture and related services N/A N/A
    Area ethnic cultural gender and group studies 57 30
    Communication journalism and related programs 29 299
    Computer and information sciences and support services 543 604
    Communications technologies technicians and support services N/A N/A
    Personal and culinary services N/A N/A
    Engineering 813 1262
    Education 306 10
    Engineering technologies and engineering related fields N/A N/A

    For more comparison of University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) check these out: