International Admissions

UC San Diego welcomes applications from international students who demonstrate superior academic potential and wish to pursue an education at an exceptional university.

Nearly 2,000 international students and 2,200 international scholars (faculty and researchers) come to UC San Diego from almost 90 different countries — and are an important part of our campus community.

Play the video (at right) for a welcome from UC San Diego!

On this page:

• Helping you feel welcomed, connected, and enriched
• Internationally respected academics
• Valued education
• Ideal campus location
• Significant resources on campus

As an undergraduate, you may apply for admission as a freshman or as a transfer student from another college or university:

• You are a freshman if you have completed secondary school (you have earned a certificate of completion which allows you to be admitted to a university in your home country) and this is your first time enrolling at a college or university.
• You are a transfer student if you have attended regular terms at a college or university. (If you are a master's, doctoral, or professional candidate, please visit the Office of Graduate Studies.)

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If you have specific questions about admission requirements, send an e-mail to an Admissions Officer - our international specialists can answer your questions.

Helping you feel welcomed, connected, and enriched

Welcome — from the International Center. Get assistance with immigration regulations and documents, enjoy hospitality programs, find English language support, and participate in cross-cultural programs for the entire UC San Diego community.

Connect — with more than 400 organizations and student clubs. Are you interested in student government? social action networks? pre-professional groups? Would you like to share your culture, language, heritage, and cuisine with the rest of the campus? International Education Week each November and monthly Language Tables and Culture Nights allow you to meet people who are interested in learning about others.

Enrichment — through exploration. Close to the city, yet distant enough to allow students to concentrate on their studies or to simply relax, you can always find something to match your interests. Performing arts groups from around the world visit; there are films, restaurants, and a nightclub right on campus.

If you want to explore the San Diego area, you're only a short distance from:

• Downtown San Diego, known for its harborside restaurants, nightlife, and performing arts — from flamenco to opera, comedy clubs to the symphony — and easily accessible by bus.
• Balboa Park, where you'll find dozens of museums and theatres.
• La Jolla, accessible by campus shuttle or bicycle — visit the Museum of Contemporary Art, or the beaches, or go for the food and shopping.
• The beach (within walking distance)
• and the weather is beautiful.

Internationally respected academics

• UC San Diego is highly ranked among public universities in the United States:
  • 7th among public institutions in the U.S. and 15th overall in the category of "Up and Coming Schools" — U.S. News & World Report
  • 3rd best public university in the U.S. — Shanghai Jiao Tong University/ 2008 Academic Rankings of World Universities
  • 2nd best university in the nation based on the positive impact the university has had on the country — Washington Monthly's 2009 College Guide
• Faculty are recognized for their leadership and innovation in every field. Seven Nobel Laureates currently teach and conduct research; there are 17 in UC San Diego's 50-year history. National Research Council names UC San Diego 10th in the country for the quality of its faculty and graduate programs.
• Our departments and programs are ranked in the top 10, nationwide:
  • Jacobs School of Engineering is ranked 10th in the world (Shanghai Jiao Tong University/ 2008 Academic Rankings of World Universities) and 11th among U.S. schools, with its Bioengineering Department ranked 2nd (U.S. News).
  • Cognitive Science Department, founded in 1979, was the first of its kind in the world
  • Theatre and Dance — Ranked 3rd in the country
  • Latin American History is 7th in the country; Asian History is 10th
  • 48% of undergraduates earn degrees in one of the 9 departments in Social Sciences (and nearly 10% of all students graduate with degrees in Economics, Management Science, or Mathematics-Economics); 17% major in one of 5 engineering departments, plus the newest, Nanoengineering.
  • Classroom and research opportunities are available through multiple undergraduate programs — in all the Pacific Rim countries, as well as Asia, Africa, Europe, Mexico, and South America; nearly 20% of all UC San Diego undergraduates participate in programs abroad.

Valued education

• Our unique college system is modeled after the colleges at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in Great Britain. Rather than being grouped by field of study, students choose a college based on its educational philosophy and core courses. First- and second-year students live in smaller social neighborhoods, interacting with students from every major, from every country, all over the campus.
• UC San Diego graduates earn the 3rd highest starting salaries among top U.S. public universities (excluding technical or mining schools) — Payscale College Salary Report
• 7th best value among public universities in the U.S. — The Princeton Review
• 10th ranked, nationally, for best values in public colleges — Kiplinger's Personal Finance
• Our alumni are exciting and diverse people who are changing the world — in the arts and humanities, engineering, literature, science, and multicultural programs.

Ideal campus location

• San Diego is located on the eastern edge of the Pacific Rim, focused on the economic and business opportunities of the future. A center for innovative hi-tech and biotech companies, San Diego is an ideal point of connection, not only to the Americas, but to Japan, Korea, China, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
  • 19 kilometers north of Mexico (by automobile)
  • 200 kilometers south of Los Angeles (2 hours by train or automobile)
  • 7 hours east of Honolulu (by air)
• The UC San Diego campus is 485 hectares (1,200 acres), much of it with old-growth eucalyptus and oak trees; there are new trees on campus, too — we were honored again in 2009 as a "Tree Campus USA University" for our environmental stewardship.
• UC San Diego is a safe campus, with a low crime rate, a dedicated police force and campus safety programs, helping to ensure all students feel secure on campus.

Significant resources on campus

• The School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS)
  • Only professional school of international relations in the University of California
  • Only program of its type in the U.S. that focuses on Asia and the Americas
  • Recently ranked in the top 10 for foreign affairs by Foreign Policy
• Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • World leader in climate change and ocean ecosystems research and studies
  • Fleet of oceangoing research vessels
  • Undergraduate and graduate programs
• Conrad Prebys Music Center
  • Home to the Music Department
  • State-of-the-art acoustics in a brand new theatre
  • Rehearsal, performance, and recording facilities
• San Diego Supercomputer Center
  • Among the top 25 fastest computers in the world
  • Facility is available to undergraduates for research assistance
• Libraries
  • 10 libraries and special collections
  • Center for Library and Instructional Computing Services, or CLICS, has large-group study rooms and is open 24 hours a day during finals week
  • Bio-Medical Library on the School of Medicine campus, adjacent to the main campus
  • IR/PS Library at the School of International and Pacific Studies — not only a unique resource, but a quiet place to study
  • Geisel Library, with its distinctive architecture, is a favorite place to study because of its location in the heart of the campus

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Questions? Attend one of our information sessions, or contact Admissions and Relations with Schools, (858) 534-4831.