Urban access
highSan Diego institutions and employers are regionally accessible.
COLLEGE FIT GUIDE
Evidence checked · 2026-10-06
University of San Diego
USD is a Catholic university on a defined hilltop campus with strong business, engineering, nursing, peace studies, and liberal-arts programs. San Diego supplies professional and cultural opportunity, while mission, cost, and a polished residential environment shape fit.
- Mission-centered learning in San Diego
- Academic choices and structure
- Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
QUICK READ
- Location
- San Diego, California · Urban setting
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 5,671
- Aggregate admission rate
- 52.4%
- Average net price
- $30,365
FIT SNAPSHOT
How this environment may feel
These are directional interpretations of the college environment, not a score or universal verdict.
Career orientation
highProfessional schools create visible pathways.
Outdoor access
highCoastal and regional recreation are prominent.
Intellectual culture
moderateCatholic social thought connects academic and ethical questions.
WHY IT MAY FIT
Consider University of San Diego if…
- You want a Catholic university in San Diego.
- You want business, engineering, or nursing.
- You want a defined residential campus.
- You want city and coastal access.
POSSIBLE TENSIONS
It may not fit if…
- You do not want a secular institution.
- You do not want an open curriculum.
- You do not want a low-cost setting.
- You do not want a large public university.
WHAT STANDS OUT
The environment behind the name
Mission-centered learning in San Diego
Courses, community engagement, research, and professional programs connect academic work with ethical and global questions.
Source: Community Engagement
Academic choices and structure
A liberal-arts core supports study across business, engineering, nursing, peace, education, and the sciences.
Source: Academics
A setting that shapes the experience
San Diego, California gives students a distinct context for campus life, work, community, and recreation.
Source: Community Engagement
LOOK CLOSER
Questions worth asking before you decide
Use these prompts during a visit, an information session, or a conversation with a current student.
- 1
Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
University of San Diego documents substantial opportunities, but availability can differ by program, timing, prerequisites, capacity, and student initiative.
Source: Community Engagement
- 2
Interpret scale and selectivity carefully
Federal data report 5,671 undergraduates and an aggregate admission rate of 52.4%. These figures describe the institution, not an individual applicant’s probability or a particular program’s experience.
- 3
Use the current price for your circumstances
Federal data report an average net price of $30,365. This historical average is not a quote; residency, income, housing, aid eligibility, and program costs can materially change what a family pays.
FEDERAL CLERY DATA
Campus safety statistics, with context
Federal Clery records describe reported incidents within defined campus geography. They are not a measure of crime prevalence or an overall safety rating.
2024 reported on-campus offenses:47
Per 1,000 enrolled:4.8
Reporting campuses:2
COMPARE THE TRADEOFFS
Schools that sharpen the question
A useful comparison for students evaluating University of San Diego across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating University of San Diego across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating University of San Diego across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
EVIDENCE
Sources and method
View the reviewed sources
- Community Engagement - University of San Diego (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- Academics - University of San Diego (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- University of San Diego institutional data - U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (federal, retrieved 2026-10-06)
Navastra interprets University of San Diego’s documented academic environment, setting, opportunities, and federal reference fields through preference dimensions. The page describes documented structures, not every student’s experience. It does not calculate an individual fit score, predict admission, or estimate a financial-aid award. Read the methodology →
Programs, policies, costs, and campus life change. Verify current details with the college ↗
PERSONALIZE THE QUESTION