College comparison

UC Irvine vs UC San Diego

A side-by-side of acceptance rate, test scores, and cost — source-cited estimates, not guarantees. Want the number that actually matters for your student? Model your admit odds at each.

Metric	UC Irvine Irvine, CA	UC San Diego La Jolla, CA
Acceptance rateUniversity of California-San Diego is more selective	29%	27%
SAT (25–75)	—	—
ACT (25–75)	—	—
Undergrad enrollment	30,197	34,948
Avg net price	$14,251	$12,470
Test policy	—	—
Type	Public	Public
Location	Irvine, CA	La Jolla, CA

Quick answers

Is University of California-Irvine or University of California-San Diego harder to get into?

University of California-San Diego is more selective: University of California-Irvine's acceptance rate is approximately 29% and University of California-San Diego's is approximately 27% (estimates from public and primary sources).

What SAT score do you need for University of California-Irvine vs University of California-San Diego?

The middle-50% SAT range is — at University of California-Irvine and — at University of California-San Diego. Scores outside these bands are still admitted, especially with strong applications.

Figures are estimates compiled from public datasets (College Scorecard / IPEDS) and primary sources; verify with each institution before relying on them.

These outputs are estimates from a baseline model — not guarantees of admission, cost, or outcome.