The University of San Diego is a private Catholic university on a Spanish Renaissance campus overlooking Mission Bay. It is best known for business, engineering, nursing, law, peace studies and its undergraduate teaching, with San Diego's biotech, defence and cross-border economy nearby. Choose it for a small-class private degree with merit aid on one of the most beautiful campuses in the US.
San Diego, United States
Official website: sandiego.edu
#1201
Top 100 (U.S. News)
AACSB-accredited, with top-ranked real estate and supply chain programmes
Regularly ranked among the most beautiful campuses in the US
$34,000 – $62,000
International students, undergraduate and master's programmes, before scholarships
$20,000 – $26,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on sandiego.edu before you apply.
MS Applied Data Science
Masters DegreeDuration
20 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan, May
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 90
MS Cyber Security Engineering
Masters DegreeDuration
20 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan, May
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 90
MBA (Knauss School of Business)
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 90
MS Finance (Knauss)
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 90
MS Engineering Management
Masters DegreeDuration
20 Months
Intake
Sep, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 90
BBA Finance (Knauss)
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Sep
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 90
Campus — Spanish Renaissance buildings on a hill above Mission Bay and the Pacific.
Knauss School of Business — strong in real estate, supply chain and entrepreneurship.
Kroc School of Peace Studies — one of the few peace and justice schools in the US.
Small classes — around 5,900 undergraduates and a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Graduates join Qualcomm, Illumina, General Atomics, Deloitte and San Diego's biotech and defence firms.
STEM-designated data science, cyber security and engineering master's graduates can work in the US for three years on OPT.
Knauss finance graduates move into San Diego's and Los Angeles's investment and real estate firms.
Nursing graduates enter Scripps, Sharp and UC San Diego Health hospitals.
Undergrad
15 Dec 2026
Postgrad
Varies by programme
Undergrad
No UG intake
Postgrad
Varies by programme
The 180-acre campus sits on a mesa in the Linda Vista neighbourhood, with the Immaculata church and Copley Library at its centre, the Knauss and engineering buildings nearby and residence halls with views of Mission Bay.
San Diego is a coastal city of 1.4 million with beaches, year-round sun and a large military and biotech economy. Rent is high, and most students share apartments in Linda Vista, Pacific Beach or Mission Valley.
Form I-20 issued by USD
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
For fall 2027 undergraduate entry, Early Decision closes 1 November 2026, Early Action closes 15 November 2026 and Regular Decision closes 15 December 2026. Graduate deadlines are set by each programme, with Knauss business master's running rounds from November to May and engineering master's closing around 1 May.
Undergraduates start in the fall (September). Applied data science and cyber security engineering master's admit for fall, spring (January) and summer (May), the Knauss MBA and engineering management admit for fall and spring, and the finance master's is fall only. Check your programme's admissions page to confirm.
You need an F-1 student visa. The Office of International Students and Scholars issues your Form I-20 after you accept the offer and submit proof of funding. Then pay the SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 and book an interview at a US embassy or consulate.
Applied data science, cyber security engineering, the Knauss MBA, finance and engineering management attract the most international applicants. Graduate admission needs a bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 3.0, TOEFL 90 or IELTS 7.0, and the GMAT or GRE for some Knauss programmes. Undergraduate admission is selective, with an acceptance rate around 50%.
Yes. International undergraduates are automatically considered for merit scholarships worth up to around USD 30,000 a year when they apply, though need-based aid for them is limited. Knauss and the engineering school offer partial merit scholarships to master's applicants with strong records. Check each school's financial aid page for current amounts.
