University of San Diego vs St. Thomas

Nestled in the vibrant city of San Diego, California, the University of San Diego (USD) and the University of St. Thomas (UST), located in the historic city of St. Paul, Minnesota, stand as two distinct institutions of higher learning. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they offer unique experiences shaped by their diverse locations, student demographics, and academic strengths. USD boasts a higher acceptance rate, attracting a more diverse student body, while UST maintains a slightly higher graduation rate. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into the specifics of each university, including popular majors, student life, and financial aid opportunities, to determine which institution best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
University of San Diego logo

University of San Diego

University of St Thomas logo

University of St Thomas

Overview

Location San Diego, California Saint Paul, Minnesota
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 92.0% 85.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 52.7% 75.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $55

Graduate: $45
$60
SAT range N/A 1120 - 1380
ACT range N/A 22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 4.0%
Students submitting ACT score 57.0%
Total number of applicants 14,326 8,654
Total number of admissions given out 7,550 6,536
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,166 1,349
Yield rate 15.4% 20.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $75,982 $66,224
Average net price $34,155 $30,099
Tuition $52,120 $47,274
Room & board $16,246
Room/dormitory: $7,571

Meal plan: $4,570
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

82.0%
Average amount $34,413
96.0%
Average amount $30,821
Students receiving federal student loan 33.0%
Average amount $5,216
51.0%
Average amount $5,256
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $12,155
52.0%
Average amount $4,899

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 5,702
Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
6,056
Men 51.6% Women 48.4%
Graduate students 3,339
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
3,280
Men 45.2% Women 54.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 45.5% 21.6%
International students 6.2% 5.2%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,484 3,023
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Washington Colorado Arizona Nevada Minnesota Wisconsin Illinois North Dakota Iowa

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 14:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 80.0% 78.1%
Dropout rate 19.5% 6.8%
Transferred out N/A 14.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,981
  • Year 2: $101,300
  • Year 3: $112,664
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,390
  • Year 2: $88,527
  • Year 3: $95,225
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,265
  • Year 2: $80,124
  • Year 3: $87,929
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,095
  • Year 2: $75,204
  • Year 3: $83,464
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,236
  • Year 2: $71,686
  • Year 3: $82,111
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,265
  • Year 2: $69,897
  • Year 3: $79,826
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,071
  • Year 2: $73,321
  • Year 3: $76,885
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,605
  • Year 2: $68,101
  • Year 3: $75,865
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,218
  • Year 2: $58,293
  • Year 3: $69,411
Real Estate (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $49,019
  • Year 3: $67,082

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