Differences between University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) and North Carolina State University at Raleigh (NCSU)

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s go through a general overview of the high-level differences between University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) and North Carolina State University at Raleigh (NCSU). The table below summarizes some of the most important statistics around competitiveness, costs, etc.

WARNINGS: Based on net price alone, University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) is the cheaper option. However, this sticker price may not adequately represent the difference in living costs between La Jolla and Raleigh. UCSD is in a Mountain and NC State University is in a South Atlantic - sometimes off campus meals and housing costs can dramatically vary between schools

Is University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) or North Carolina State University at Raleigh (NCSU) Harder to get into? Which school is easier to get into?

If you’re looking at acceptance rate alone, then University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) is more difficult to get into. However, each college is looking to fill its incoming class with a variety of students with different strengths, backgrounds, etc.

Therefore, the acceptance rate alone is not a good indicator that University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) is a better school or will be more difficult for you specifically to get into. On the flipside, North Carolina State University at Raleigh (NCSU) is easier to get into based on acceptance rate alone.

You can use the below college admissions predictor to determine your likelihood of acceptance at either school.