University of San Diego vs UDenver

Nestled in the vibrant city of San Diego, California, and the picturesque foothills of Denver, Colorado, University of San Diego (USD) and University of Denver (DU) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they offer unique experiences shaped by their distinct locations, academic strengths, and student demographics. With USD boasting a higher acceptance rate and a more diverse student body, and DU excelling in graduation rates and offering a wider range of popular majors, the choice between these two esteemed universities hinges on individual preferences and aspirations. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into the specifics and discover which university aligns best with your academic pursuits and personal preferences.
University of Denver logo

University of Denver

University of San Diego logo

University of San Diego

Overview

Location Denver, Colorado San Diego, California
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Quarter 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 84.0% 92.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 63.6% 52.7%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
Undergraduate: $55

Graduate: $45
SAT range 1200 - 1390 N/A
ACT range 27 - 31 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 24.0%
Students submitting ACT score 27.0%
Total number of applicants 22,694 14,326
Total number of admissions given out 14,440 7,550
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,621 1,166
Yield rate 11.2% 15.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $73,514 $75,982
Average net price $39,973 $34,155
Tuition $53,640 $52,120
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,262

Meal plan: $5,412
$16,246
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

98.0%
Average amount $31,672
82.0%
Average amount $34,413
Students receiving federal student loan 38.0%
Average amount $5,173
33.0%
Average amount $5,216
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $21,978
5.0%
Average amount $12,155

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 5,867
Men 44.8% Women 55.2%
5,702
Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students 8,263
Men 33.8% Women 66.2%
3,339
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 71.9% 45.5%
International students 4.1% 6.2%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,647 2,484
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Colorado California Illinois Texas Minnesota California Washington Colorado Arizona Nevada

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Psychology
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Legal Profession
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 75.7% 80.0%
Dropout rate 23.5% 19.5%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,503
  • Year 2: $86,129
  • Year 3: $98,717
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,126
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $86,073
Taxation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,750
  • Year 2: $66,104
  • Year 3: $85,588
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,915
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $78,170
Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $70,020
  • Year 2: $72,667
  • Year 3: $77,585
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $66,104
  • Year 3: $75,452
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,899
  • Year 2: $60,704
  • Year 3: $73,790
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,139
  • Year 2: $73,949
  • Year 3: $73,641
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,983
  • Year 2: $62,632
  • Year 3: $73,152
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,647
  • Year 2: $65,905
  • Year 3: $72,754
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,672
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $115,744
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,123
  • Year 2: $89,672
  • Year 3: $102,690
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,786
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $98,598
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,329
  • Year 2: $91,744
  • Year 3: $93,985
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,367
  • Year 2: $73,391
  • Year 3: $92,346
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,417
  • Year 2: $75,706
  • Year 3: $84,924
Real Estate (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,970
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $84,277
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,809
  • Year 2: $61,962
  • Year 3: $75,083
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,424
  • Year 2: $67,324
  • Year 3: $72,729
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,434
  • Year 2: $61,069
  • Year 3: $72,310

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