UC San Diego vs United States Naval Academy (USNA)

Envision yourself pursuing higher education at either the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) or the United States Naval Academy (USNA). While both institutions offer exceptional academic opportunities, they differ in several key aspects. UCSD, a public research university, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of undergraduate programs, with acceptance rates typically higher than USNA's. In contrast, USNA, a federal service academy, emphasizes leadership development and military training alongside its rigorous academic curriculum. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, to help you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and career goals.
United States Naval Academy logo

United States Naval Academy

University of California-San Diego logo

University of California-San Diego

Overview

Location Annapolis, Maryland La Jolla, California
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 95.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 8.4% 34.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range 1200 - 1420 N/A
ACT range 26 - 32 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 69.0%
Students submitting ACT score 48.0%
Total number of applicants 16,265 118,386
Total number of admissions given out 1,374 40,493
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,183 7,544
Yield rate 86.1% 18.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $35,116

Out of state: $64,870
Average net price $15,632
Tuition
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board $16,145
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

48.0%
Average amount $18,083
Students receiving federal student loan 21.0%
Average amount $4,545
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $4,851

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 4,528
Men 71.3% Women 28.7%
33,343
Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
Graduate students N/A 8,542
Men 57.6% Women 42.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 92.6% 16.6%
International students 1.3% 21.3%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 4,667 17,765
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas Maryland Virginia Florida California Washington Texas New York Illinois

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Military Technologies
  • Physical Science
  • English Language and Literature
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 19:1
Institutional accreditation N/A Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.3% 89.4%
Dropout rate 8.7% 9.7%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) N/A
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

Compare Similar Colleges

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