University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Rankings 2026

• Most American citizens got jobs within 6 months of graduation.

• About 80% of Indian students got jobs within 6 months of completing their course. Usually students find jobs via linkedin, some of them via on campus career fairs.

• Most of the Indians who got employed did it through securing a summer internship between their 3rd and 4th years, usually in consulting, which converted

• I stayed on campus for all 4 years. In the first year we did not have access to on campus apartments and had to live in a shared room.

• My room had 2 other people and this was difficult for me. I did not get along with them and had to change rooms after the first quarter.

• In my second - fourth year I stayed on campus. Campus is very big and I stayed in different parts, all of which were close and far from different classes and dining halls. I recommend getting a bicycle to commute.
   

• As I am still a second-year student, I will not have much information about this right now. That being said, I do know that about 86% of UCSD graduates in the 2022-23 batch received full time job offers within three months of graduating, and graduates have an average early-career salary of approximately $80,000.
• To find jobs, UCSD has a job portal called Handshake, where various companies list available positions and job applications. On this portal, students can even find on-campus job opportunities.
• Besides Hanshake, the Data Science department created their own portal called 12Twenty, which serves a similar purpose but is more specific and exclusive to Data Science students.
• Placement experiences of my batchmates have been mixed, with some not able to get summer internships while others can.
• One of my batchmates even got an REU (Research Experience for Undergrads) opportunity last summer.

• I opted for on-campus accommodations. University of California San Diego provides guaranteed on-campus housing for undergraduate students for the first two years only. I chose on-campus housing because it is more convenient to go to classes, and I liked my dorms and suitemates.
• The rent is paid per quarter and are part of the quarterly fees billed to me

I have no idea about the median salary. Placements are great, provided you put in the effort. Quant placements are low due to the fact that it’s not a top school like MIT/ Stanford/ Caltech etc., most other jobs are fine.

I chose this university bcz of it's location and program strength - it is top 15 in the US for CS and top 10 for data science. I chose this program because of its utility, high earning potential + capacity to get into business later. As mentioned, what I liked previously.

FAANG companies, along with some smaller ones, visited campus a few times. The job fairs were not great, though. I found my internship and job through my applications. Everyone from my program graduated with great jobs. I am not sure about the median salary since it varies greatly with location, but let’s say $100-150K median.

SoP was mainly about what got me interested in the field of VLSI Design and how I took steps to develop my understanding of the subject further. The primary factors were the great reputation and moderate prestige associated with the program. Second was the location of being in California, and picturesque San Diego.

Great , but here students need to apply online directly in company’s portals, no company comes for direct hiring.

I believe I had a good experience at my university. The college had great study programs and lab facilities. The other facilities including dining and sports facilities were enriching and created a wholesome experience for my stay here. Other than high living cost and tough job conditions, everything was very accessible and enjoyable. I would recommend this university for students genuinely interested in learning and growing.

On campus placement support is not that strong. But we do have industry talks where you can network with people from companies like Google, Apple, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Intel. Almost everyone does get placed at the end (at least 95%) with median salary around 130000-140000.

I have really enjoyed the research opportunities at UCSD along with the funding that I get thanks to it being a public school. Because of this I will be able to complete my MS in less than 4 lakh INR. The courses were also very engaging and I really appreciate the flexibility in curriculum which made this an enjoyable experience. Placement support could have been better and maybe more affordable food and housing options nearby would be welcomed.

The situation right now is not that good with almost every company doing layoffs. It is difficult to find internships as there is a lot of competition. Being international is another hurdle aa companies don’t sponsor.

"Location - san diego has the best weather Course Curriculum - structured well with lot of electives Job opportunities in California - tech hub Ranking of universities on various websites Alumni database "

I liked the environment - both physically and academically. Research opportunities here are abundant. Faculty and staff are phenomenal and friendly, yet professional; more so, the has a good reputation in terms of STEM majors which made me choose UCSD.

I think there are a lot of job opportunities for many levels, entry-level or experienced that are available to undergraduate students and graduate students. But I am not sure if there are job opportunities for that outside of the school.

It is a reputable STEM school that also specializes in healthcare. It also provides lots of opportunities for my academic career. It is also close to home so it would be easier for me to go home and back.