University of California-San Diego Reviews

"The reason I give this school a 4 is because of the location, the resources and the education. I have been in three different colleges. This college has some of the hardest courses I have ever experienced but it is rewarding to get through them. It can be a little harder to meet people if you have a difficult major that takes up your time. For graduate school, I think your personality fit and work ethic with the P.I matters the most. Overall, you will enjoy your experience hear if value education and research over partying. You can find partying but it is not the main focus of this school. I had a full time scholarship for my bachelors and that made all the difference in the world. Unfortunately , they do not extend the same financial assistance for Masters so make sure it’s worth it.Read Less"

"The physics department at UCSD is a phenomenonal environment to both learn graduate level physics and obtain invaluable research experiences through a wide variety scientific opportunities and an impressive roster of established and passionate professors."

"Coming from a CSU to a UC you can feel the difference of pace, now that is a quarter system, it feels a little rushed. Besides that, I think the education is really valuable, I am able to interact with people that are in a great professional level and I am learning things that would be helpful for my profession."

"I had an okay time at UC San Diego. Granted, it was a really big school, so the class sizes were really large. Enrollment in classes was competitive. If you want individualized teaching, this is probably not the school for you. This is definitely a stem-focused school, so going for a social science may not be the move."

"My time at the University of California, San Diego was memorable and worthwhile. The campus offered quality education and opportunities to build and create experience. My only regret was not exploring more of what the university had to offer and branching out. The location of the school was quite beautiful, as well. I would say any prospective student would be lucky to attend this university."

"I went to UCSD from 2021 to 2023, and I studied sociology and marketing. loved the campus, students, professors, and my overall experience. I learned a lot, but after graduation, it was hard to find a job. It seemed like my education and degree didn't matter. It was hard to get internships, but I think it's because I didn't have close relationships with professors, so I didn't ask for references. At first, my classes were online, maybe for the first 2 months, but I was excited when I got to experience in-person classes. Met a lot of cool people, and there were many fun events for free! I enjoyed the city too. It was safe, and there were many things to do. I'd definitely recommend this school to anyone who wants a beautiful campus, quality education, and a fun city!Read Less"

"UC San Diego was my top choice other than Harvard/Stanford. I chose them over UCLA, UMich, WashU and some other places because I loved the environment at the school. It being so close to the ocean, with incredible views as much as incredible teachers, made it the perfect blend of being an academic powerhouse while still having a chill vibe among the student body. 10/10 would go here again - also got me 10 med school interviews!"

"If you're looking for a college with a laid-back atmosphere, located in one of the best neighborhoods within San Diego, and offering a wide range of exciting opportunities, then UCSD is the place for you! UCSD is a place where you can hold onto that small-town feel while also attending a top research institution that's part of the best university system in the US. For me, between the diverse classes, near perfect climate, and pristine beaches, I loved my time at UCSD."

"Computer Science had a reputation as being one of the hardest majors besides Computer Engineering or Biochemistry and Biomedical degrees at my school. It was a rigorous and challenging cirriculum. I remember we had to take Compilers CS131A and it was only after my graudating year, that the class became optional. The class itself was basically a full time job, requiring coding 30+ hours a week to build a compiler from scratch. The school and degree definitely was well earned in my opinion and all the courses challenged us and helped us prepare for a real carreer in the industry.Read Less"

"Graduated last year and the school itself is very large, but since being a liberal art major at a STEM school, you have to venture outside of class to gain experience. I worked at two of the departments so there are plenty of opportunities for students; you just have to go out and find them."

"College is truly what you make of it. If you take the time to go out of your comfort zone to attend events, seminars, and join clubs, you will undoubtedly enjoy your college experience. UCSD offers the perfect amount of opportunities for students to become well-rounded individuals. There are a plethora of clubs and organizations that give students access to personal, professional, and social growth. The class sizes are definitely large, so there will be times where you feel like you're lost in the crowd. However, you benefit from the access to resources, and the numerous opportunities to participate in research. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at UCSD.Read Less"

"I would recommend going to UC San Diego if you are someone who is interested in doing research in undergrad. There are a lot of good qualities of this university, but there are also some more negative ones. Positive aspects of UCSD is the location, the status, and the accessibility to innovation. UCSD is located near the ocean which is ideal for anyone who loves the beach or for students who plan to study at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. UCSD is one of the top research institutions and there are many opportunities available to students to become published researcher or work with leading researchers in their field of interest. Finally, the technology on this campus is amazing and anything that you can think of can be brought to life with the right team. The negative aspects of the campus are subjective. There are a lot of students and it can be hard to feel connected to the university. It is really challenging to find parking on this campus, and practically impossible to be on campus without paying a ton on parking. These two problems can be found at most universities, so it really depends on what you do personally to connect with the campus and how resourceful you are to get around parking difficulties.Read Less"

"This school is a very prestigious school but also very difficult. The classes are very hard, and for some of my pre-medical classes, the cureve was a 20%. This school is also very expensive, I would recommend to save money by going to a state school instead."

"University of California - San Diego is a great university to be a student at if you are looking for rigorous academic performance and high levels of research, even in undergraduate. This is university is not meant for those who do not have the academic abilities to be diligent and persistent. Professors will be brutal in the upper division courses and expect you to perform just as well as a graduate student. But if you can last through the brutal academic atmosphere, UC San Diego will give you one of the best education you will ever get.Read Less"

"I liked my undergraduate experience. My classes were interesting but grades based mainly on midterm and final exams (multiple choice, short answer. You def. have to be on top of your reading assignments and study for exams. I started with my major and never changed it- I enjoyed every psychology class. I was an ERC student- the only MMW class I liked was the first one. The rest (5) I did not enjoy. I think UCSD is a good school if you are the type of student that likes to study and can learn on their own. Depending on your major- you pretty much have large classes- a lot of lectures and midterm/final. If you want small class discussion- a smaller school woudl be betterRead Less"

"Although UCSD is a highly accredited university I was not prepared for the large class sizes of prerequisite courses at the university. The majority of underdivision courses had class sizes of three hundred to four hundred students per one professor. It was nearly impossible to get to know your professor. The upper division classes also had a high class size of one hundred to one hundred and fifty students per course."

"UC San Diego is a beautiful campus: spread out nicely, lush greenery, and ocean views. The faculty are all very knowledgable, and most in my experience are approachable and care about your education. The biology program/department at UCSD is world class, and houses one of the best medical schools in the world. One thing I would have to say the school lacks however, is school spirit. Compared to the other top UC's, UCSD has almost zero school pride. No attendance at sporting events, campus events are lackluster with little time or effort put in on the AS side. If you are looking for an academically strong school, with a beautiful location, but do not care whatsoever about having a social life or school pride, then UCSD is the place to be. I overall made amazing friends there and still had a blast, you just have to try harder than some other UC's in the system.Read Less"

"UCSD is a great school -- for engineers and researchers. Many of the classes are taught by research professors, who are very intelligent but they seemed to be distant from undergraduate students. Of course, this doesn't apply to all the professors at the school, but I felt like it was hard to approach them or keep up with them in lecture (especially if they started going on tangents). I do not regret choosing to go to this school. I just wished I wasn't one of the hundred of students sitting in a large lecture hall scrambling to take down notes while trying to comprehend the materials.Read Less"

"The Urban Studies and Planning program at UC San Diego offers a perfect mix of academic rigor and practical experience to prepare students for careers in the field of Urban Planning once they graduate. Students are required to complete internships and a Master's level thesis for the degree. Professors in the program are connected with employers and community organizations that can help with obtaining employment upon graduation. At the same time, all students in the program are introduced to the academic and theoretical debates within the field of Urban Studies. Another great feature about the program is that there is a mix of full-time faculty and adjunct professors who currently work in the field. So in the classroom students receive a strong mix of insight based upon professional as well as scholarly engagement with Urban Studies and Planning. Just be sure to identify professors you want to work with, and form good relationships with them.Read Less"

"Firstly, let's start with the campus and its location. It's a massive, sprawling campus that's heavily wooded and located as close to the beach as possible. All it takes is a quick hike down and you're transplanted to a beautiful, semi-secluded beach to study on. The campus, while huge, is definitely walkable but if you want to get somewhere fast, either take the shuttle or bring your skateboard or bicycle. The school perfectly marries new and old across its six colleges, so you get to experience classes in older buildings from the 60s with all their history, and also new buildings with their modern amenities and architecture. The class-sizes range from extremely large to as intimate as 10-15 people, but the teachers are adept enough to give attention to all students regardless of how large the class size is as long as you make an effort to participate. My professors were exceptionally well trained and I yearned to come to class to learn from them as they were truly experts in their fields and it showed. I can't speak for any other universities, but this one I recommend 100%. Do yourself a favor and attend this school! Both for the education, and its location in the beautiful county of San Diego.Read Less"