The University of California—San Diego is a public institution that was established in 1960. It is located in the La Jolla community of San Diego, near the Pacific Ocean. More than 75 percent of the student body studies at the undergraduate level. The school offers more than 100 undergraduate majors across a range of disciplines. UCSD undergrads are assigned to one of six residential colleges – smaller academic and social communities within the university. Incoming undergraduates and transfer students are guaranteed housing for two years. Accommodations are also available for graduate students. Out-of-state students must pay a supplemental tuition on top of the tuition in-state students pay. UCSD follows a quarter-based academic calendar, and English is the language of instruction.

In addition to the six undergraduate colleges, UCSD comprises five academic divisions and five graduate and professional schools. Highly ranked UCSD graduate schools include the School of Medicine and the Jacobs School of Engineering. UC San Diego Medical Center - UC San Diego Health, a teaching hospital, is nationally ranked in a dozen adult specialties. One of the university's academic departments is the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which is dedicated to ocean, earth and atmospheric science. Scripps researchers focus their efforts on subjects such as waves and circulation, global environmental monitoring and marine life. UCSD’s annual research funding has surpassed $1 billion several times in recent years. The university also operates organized research units aimed at promoting multidisciplinary research, such as the Center for Energy Research, the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind and the San Diego Supercomputer Center.

University of California--San Diego is ranked #19 in Best Global Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.