The Ideal Campus Location

See the campus from home with a virtual walking tour!

Click on the virtual screen to travel from the heart of campus to the ocean. Choose your online guide in English, Spanish, or Mandarin. Explore photos, videos and 360-degree views at each of the tour stops... Meet some of our students.... ... and register for more information or to take an in-person tour—welcome!

Point of connection

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 your ideal point of connection, not only to the Americas, but to Japan, Korea, China, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

We are 19 kilometers north of Mexico; 200 kilometers south of Los Angeles (or 2 hours by train or automobile); and 7 hours east of Hawaii (by air).

UC San Diego is also a safe campus. With a low crime rate, a dedicated police force and campus safety programs, our university helps to ensure all students feel secure on campus.

Environmental stewardship

UC San Diego has long been at the forefront of the climate change movement. The university’s beginnings more than 100 years ago were through a marine research facility that would become as Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Find out more about our research and sustainability research and programs at the Sustainability 2.0 website or on campus, visit our wellness lounge called The Zone.

All new major construction projects are designed and built to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver or Gold standards. An additional 1 million square feet of existing building space has been renovated to improve energy-efficiency. Students are an important part of this goal as they help gather data and documentation for each project. 

Get involved in your residence hall, too, with recycling programs. Visit Major Planet to find out how you can be part of the solution!

Safe campus

Located in the affluent coastal community of La Jolla, UC San Diego is a safe place to go to school. There are low crime rates in the area, and a dedicated police force keeps students, faculty and staff safe in the buzz of beach city life. There are also campus safety programs to provide extra assistance, such as an escort service for late-night walks to your car or on-campus residence.

Amazing on-campus resources

•  Only professional program of its type in the US that focuses on Asia and the Americas
•  Ranked in the top 10 for foreign affairs by Foreign Policy

•  World leader in climate change and ocean ecosystems research and studies
•  Undergraduate & graduate programs

•  State-of-the-art acoustics in a brand new theatre
•  Rehearsal, performance and recording facilities
•  Home to the Music Department

•  Among the top 25 fastest computers in the world
•  Facility is available to undergraduates for research assistance

•  7 libraries and special collections
•  Bio-Medical Library is on the School of Medicine campus, adjacent to the main campus
•  Geisel Library, with its distinctive architecture as a symbol of UC San Diego and a cult film icon, is located in the heart of campus.