UC San Diego vs Duke University

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant academic landscapes of University of California-San Diego (UCSD) and Duke University, two esteemed institutions renowned for their academic excellence and diverse offerings. While both universities share a commitment to providing students with transformative educational experiences, they each possess unique characteristics that set them apart. UCSD, nestled along the scenic Pacific coast, boasts a sprawling campus brimming with research opportunities and a dynamic student body representing over 100 countries. In contrast, Duke, situated in the heart of North Carolina's Research Triangle, captivates with its Gothic architecture, vibrant sports culture, and a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. As you embark on this comparative journey, delve into the intricacies of each university's acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, meticulously presented in the table below. Discover which institution aligns seamlessly with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, propelling you towards a future brimming with success and fulfillment.

	Duke University	University of California-San Diego
Overview
Location	Durham, North Carolina	La Jolla, California
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	98.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	5.9%	34.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $95	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $120
SAT range	1468 - 1558	N/A
ACT range	33 - 35	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	47.0%
Students submitting ACT score	46.0%
Total number of applicants	49,703	118,386
Total number of admissions given out	2,927	40,493
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,744	7,544
Yield rate	59.6%	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	$79,860	In state: $35,116 Out of state: $64,870
Average net price	$27,297	$15,632
Tuition	$58,085	In state: $11,442 Out of state: $41,196
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,164 Meal plan: $6,862	$16,145
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	46.0% Average amount $50,731	48.0% Average amount $18,083
Students receiving federal student loan	20.0% Average amount $4,537	21.0% Average amount $4,545
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $22,957	7.0% Average amount $4,851

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,883 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%	33,343 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
Graduate students	10,737 Men 45.5% Women 54.5%	8,542 Men 57.6% Women 42.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	16.6%
International students	21.4%	21.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	5,718	17,765
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Washington Texas New York Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Engineering Legal Profession Social Sciences	Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	6:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	95.9%	89.4%
Dropout rate	4.0%	9.7%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	International Business (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $151,472 Year 2: $213,978 Year 3: $201,782 Law (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $155,031 Year 2: $168,098 Year 3: $200,300 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $143,622 Year 2: $148,189 Year 3: $163,560 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $163,977 Year 2: $138,342 Year 3: $159,598 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $115,135 Year 2: $106,898 Year 3: $134,542 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $123,138 Year 2: $116,541 Year 3: $124,406 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $108,817 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $117,262 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $94,699 Year 2: $90,856 Year 3: $112,646 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,661 Year 2: $91,078 Year 3: $108,736 Economics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $104,348	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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