UC San Diego vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Envision yourself pursuing higher education at two of the nation's most prestigious institutions: the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). While both universities share a reputation for academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences. UCSD, located in sunny San Diego, boasts a diverse student body and a focus on interdisciplinary research, while MIT, situated in vibrant Cambridge, is renowned for its rigorous STEM programs and cutting-edge innovation. With acceptance rates of 30.4% for UCSD and 7.3% for MIT, the level of selectivity varies significantly. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	University of California-San Diego
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	La Jolla, California
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	4-1-4	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	99.0%	95.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	4.1%	34.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $120
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	33,240	118,386
Total number of admissions given out	1,365	40,493
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,177	7,544
Yield rate	86.2%	18.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$58,920	In state: $35,116 Out of state: $64,870
Average net price	$30,958	$15,632
Tuition	$55,510	In state: $11,442 Out of state: $41,196
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,550 Meal plan: $6,550	$16,145
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $32,562	48.0% Average amount $18,083
Students receiving federal student loan	6.0% Average amount $5,112	21.0% Average amount $4,545
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $17,891	7.0% Average amount $4,851

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,638 Men 51.9% Women 48.1%	33,343 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
Graduate students	7,296 Men 62.0% Women 38.0%	8,542 Men 57.6% Women 42.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	16.6%
International students	29.2%	21.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	6,280	17,765
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Texas New York Florida New Jersey	California Washington Texas New York Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Business Computer and Information Science Architecture Mathematics and Statistics	Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	3:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	96.2%	89.4%
Dropout rate	3.0%	9.7%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $144,716 Year 2: $150,045 Year 3: $183,153 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $170,089 Year 2: $165,236 Year 3: $182,183 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $118,191 Year 2: $127,993 Year 3: $163,496 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $82,796 Year 2: $117,572 Year 3: $155,540 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $133,685 Year 2: $137,214 Year 3: $155,079 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $104,229 Year 2: $121,226 Year 3: $139,548 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $141,603 Year 2: $126,504 Year 3: $132,987 Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $112,885 Year 3: $124,425 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $135,266 Year 2: $111,435 Year 3: $112,404 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $109,955 Year 2: $104,749 Year 3: $109,672	Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $127,768 Year 2: $162,463 Year 3: $194,475 Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $122,641 Year 2: $127,993 Year 3: $153,118 Physics (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $124,326 Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $118,445 Year 2: $113,668 Year 3: $123,569 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,196 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $113,628 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,603 Year 2: $101,406 Year 3: $109,783 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $108,034 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $87,738 Year 2: $86,972 Year 3: $105,245 Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,610 Year 2: $75,706 Year 3: $102,296 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $79,476 Year 2: $79,688 Year 3: $99,630

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