About UC San Diego

At the University of California San Diego, a culture of risk-taking, collaboration and innovation emerged early on. Established in 1960, UC San Diego has been shaped by exceptional scholars who aren't afraid to push boundaries, challenge expectations and redefine conventional wisdom in order to make our world better. The only criterion our founders had for their campus was that it must be distinctive — and being experimental has been the norm since day one.

First and foremost, we are a university devoted to exceptional education. We recruit the best scholars to give the highest-quality learning to the most academically talented and inquisitive students in the world. This emphasis on excellence results in passionate and well-rounded graduates, many of whom go on to become leading experts and contributors in their fields.

We are also passionate about a people- and service-oriented culture. This applies to every venture we undertake, but on the most basic level, it applies to our campus. Everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed. That is why our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and interdisciplinary collaboration informs and shapes our thinking and actions across the board.

But above all, we are risk-takers. It’s infused in our institutional DNA. We were founded as an experimental campus and, in the most important ways, that is exactly what we have remained. As a student-centered, research-focused, service-oriented public institution accessible to all, UC San Diego empowers all in our community with the courage to create and the tools to transform.