University of San Diego

University of San Diego Being Part of the Torero Community

The University of San Diego (USD) serves as the host institution for our TRIO Upward Bound program. USD is a private Roman Catholic research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1949 as the San Diego College for Women and San Diego University, the academic institutions merged from the California school system into University of San Diego in 1972. Today, the University of San Diego thrives as a Roman Catholic university that produces a wonderful, rigorous undergraduate liberal arts education in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. It has graduate programs in arts and sciences, leadership and education, business, peace studies, nursing and law. USD has grown to comprise nine undergraduate and graduate schools, to include the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and School of Law. USD has 89 undergraduate and graduate programs, and enrolls approximately 9181 undergraduate, paralegal, graduate and law students.

USD is the youngest private institution among U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 universities in the nation. Set atop a mesa with stunning, panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, downtown San Diego and Mission Bay, USD’s students study and collaborate in an inspiring and intimate setting. Small class sizes ensure that students have direct access to award-winning faculty, and the university’s contemporary Catholic values and liberal arts education help to develop ethical leaders and compassionate citizens with a global perspective. The University of San Diego has one of the highest-ranking study abroad programs in the nation. At USD, we are dedicated to educating confident, original thinkers who are ready to make a positive difference in the world.

In 2018, the University of San Diego was ranked #1 Most Beautiful Campus in the Nation by the Princeton Review. Below are some “Quick Facts” from the University of San Diego:

Private, Catholic Institution. Coeducational. Residential. Independent.

180 acres perched on a pristine canyon – easily navigable, pedestrian-friendly

Beautiful 16th century Spanish Renaissance architectural style

Carnegie classification of “Doctoral University: High Research Activity”

Fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1956

17 NCAA Division I teams