University of San Diego
The University of San Diego is a private Catholic non-profit research university founded in 1949 in San Diego, California, operating seven schools (arts and sciences, business, engineering, law, education, nursing, and peace studies) serving undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1949
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What University of San Diego does
The University of San Diego (USD) is a private Catholic non-profit research university located in San Diego, California, founded in 1949. It serves undergraduate, graduate, and professional students through seven schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES), the Hahn School of Nursing, and the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. The institution operates as a division-I athletics program and maintains a faculty and staff headcount in the 1,001-5,000 range.
USD's core product is higher education and credentialing — degree programs, professional certificates, executive education, and applied research — delivered through on-campus and partnership-based modalities. The university is investing in STEM infrastructure (a new facility funded by a $75M Shiley family gift) and emerging legal-tech curriculum (LLM pathways in AI governance and data privacy). Research output is concentrated in the applied and professional disciplines consistent with its school portfolio.
The business model is the standard private nonprofit university stack: net tuition and fees, auxiliary services (housing, dining, athletics), endowment payout, sponsored research, and philanthropic gifts. Major donor activity is active and material — exemplified by the $75M Shiley gift and a $275K Conrad Prebys Foundation grant in September 2024. Industry partnerships with firms such as Chamberlain Hrdlicka and Palomar Holdings extend applied-program reach and placement pipelines, while international partnerships with Indian law schools signal geographic expansion of the addressable student market.
University of San Diego firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of San Diego
- Legal name
- University of San Diego
- Website
- https://sandiego.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1949
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- The University of San Diego is a private Catholic non-profit research university founded in 1949 in San Diego, California, operating seven schools (arts and sciences, business, engineering, law, education, nursing, and peace studies) serving undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
University of San Diego industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)
Keywords
Where University of San Diego is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
University of San Diego business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Primary recurring revenue stream from undergraduate, graduate, and law school tuition, supported by dedicated Tuition and Financial Aid office.
- Philanthropic Giving and Major Gifts: Donations and large capital gifts (e.g., $75M Shiley gift) supporting facilities, programs, and endowment; administered through the university's Giving office.
- Scholarships and Fellowships Funding: Institutional scholarships and fellowships funded by endowments and external donors; not a net revenue source but a cost offset funded via gifts.
- International Programs and Study Abroad Revenue: Recurring revenue from global student recruitment, study abroad, and international academic partnerships (e.g., Indian law institutions, GradRight).
- Competition and Event Revenue (Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge): Event-driven revenue and sponsorship from hosting global student competitions; includes $100,000 in non-dilutive seed funding for finalists.
- Athletic Corporate Sponsorships: Multi-year corporate sponsorship deals with athletic programs (e.g., Palomar Holdings under the One San Diego platform).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Tuition for undergraduate, graduate, and law programs (specific price points not disclosed in supplied source) |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
University of San Diego product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The University of San Diego is a private Catholic non-profit research university that provides degree-based higher education across multiple schools, including the College of Arts and Sciences, Knauss School of Business, Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, USD School of Law, SOLES, Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, and Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. It delivers undergraduate liberal arts education, graduate and doctoral programs, JD and LLM pathways, and online asynchronous certificates (e.g., the 7-week public safety leadership practicum awarding transferable graduate credit) to prospective and enrolled students.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- College of Arts and Sciences: One of USD's primary academic divisions, housing liberal arts and sciences programs.
- Knauss School of Business
- Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering
- USD School of Law
- School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES)
- Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science
- Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies
- Torero Hub
- Changemaker Hub
Products and services
- College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Programs Undergraduate liberal arts and sciences degree programs providing a 21st-century liberal arts education for prospective bachelor's students.
- Knauss School of Business Programs Undergraduate and graduate business degree programs at USD's Knauss School of Business.
- Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering Programs Undergraduate and graduate engineering degree programs at USD's Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, with expanded capacity in biomedical engineering and robotics via the new 70,000 sq ft Shiley STEM Initiative building.
- USD School of Law JD and LLM Programs JD and LLM programs at USD School of Law, including specialized LLM pathways in AI governance, data privacy, and bar eligibility preparation for cross-border legal practice.
- School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) Programs Graduate programs in leadership and education sciences offered through USD's SOLES school.
- Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science Programs Nursing and health science degree programs at USD's Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science.
- Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies Programs Graduate degree programs in peace studies at USD's Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies.
- MS-LEPSL Public Safety Leadership Practicum A 7-week online asynchronous leadership practicum for law enforcement and public safety professionals, awarding 3 transferable graduate-level credits and covering crisis leadership, team morale, and ethical decision-making.
- Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge USD-hosted global student social innovation competition aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, providing non-dilutive seed funding and in-kind professional services to finalists.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70,000 square foot Shiley STEM Initiative building funded by $75M gift, expanding STEM education and research capacity
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use University of San Diego
Customer profileSegments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
University of San Diego technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
University of San Diego partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- The University of St. ThomascoreCo-organizes the 2026 Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge global finals at USD, bringing together student entrepreneurs from 15 countries (40+ teams) to pitch sustainable business solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with $100,000 in non-dilutive seed funding and in-kind professional services for finalists.
- Palomar Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLMR)coreMulti-year partnership naming Palomar the Official Specialty Insurance Partner and Official Volunteerism Partner for San Diego State Athletics, with engagement extended across the One San Diego platform covering SDSU, UC San Diego, and the University of San Diego. Palomar becomes the first Founding Partner under One San Diego, gaining integrated visibility at marquee events and engaging 500+ student-athletes in Days of Service programs. Facilitated by JMI Sports.
- JMI SportscoreJMI Sports facilitates the Palomar/SDSU/USD athletics partnership and the broader One San Diego platform connecting San Diego's three major college programs.
- One San Diego (San Diego State University and UC San Diego)flagshipUSD participates in the One San Diego citywide platform alongside SDSU and UC San Diego, a multi-school initiative enabling shared corporate sponsorships, volunteerism, and community service programs engaging 500+ student-athletes.
- Chamberlain HrdlickacoreCo-hosts the 2026 International Tax Conference with USD School of Law in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico (February 16-17, 2026). The conference features 17 advanced panels on U.S.-Mexico cross-border tax and estate issues, with keynotes including former IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig, former Mexican treasury secretary Dr. Agustín Carstens, and Bitso general counsel Luis Urrutia Corral.
- National Law School of India University (NLSIU) BangalorecoreUSD School of Law is building an academic partnership with NLSIU Bangalore to support Indian postgraduate legal education pathways and cross-border opportunities.
- Christ School of LawcoreUSD School of Law academic partnership with Christ School of Law (India) for joint postgraduate legal education and cross-border programs.
- Gujarat National Law UniversitycoreUSD School of Law academic partnership with Gujarat National Law University (India) for postgraduate legal education pathways.
- Vinayaka Mission's Law SchoolcoreUSD School of Law academic partnership with Vinayaka Mission's Law School (India) for postgraduate legal education.
- GradRightcoreGradRight serves as USD's official partner supporting recruitment and institutional relationships in India, helping Indian lawyers access USD's LLM pathways.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
University of San Diego competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- University of Redlands: Private California university of comparable mid-sized scale, with undergraduate, graduate, and continuing-education programs — comparable to USD as a private non-R1 California university with similar tuition dependence and program breadth.
- University of San Francisco: Private Jesuit urban research university in San Francisco with comparable scale, multi-school portfolio, and mission-driven Catholic identity, including a school of law and nursing — directly comparable to USD in mission, scale, and California urban private university profile.
- Pepperdine University: Private Christian-affiliated research university in California with comparable size, graduate schools including a School of Law, and a similar tuition-driven revenue model — directly comparable to USD as a California private research university with faith-based affiliation.
- Gonzaga University: Private Catholic Jesuit university of similar size and institutional profile, sharing the WCC athletic conference with USD. Gonzaga is a direct peer in faith-based identity, scale, undergraduate/graduate portfolio, and Division I athletic profile.
- Seattle University: Private Jesuit urban research university of comparable size with law, business, nursing, and engineering schools — directly comparable to USD in Jesuit Catholic identity, urban setting, and multi-professional-school portfolio.
- Loyola Marymount University: Private Jesuit and Marymount Catholic university in Los Angeles with similar size, faith-based identity, and broad portfolio of colleges including business, engineering, law, and liberal arts — a direct peer to USD in the private Catholic California research university segment.
- Chapman University: Private California university in Orange County with similar mid-sized scale, professional schools (law, business, communication, engineering), and tuition-driven model — a direct peer to USD in private California higher education market positioning.
- Marquette University: Private Catholic Jesuit research university in Milwaukee with comparable size, professional schools (law, business, engineering, nursing), and Big East athletic profile — directly comparable to USD in Catholic Jesuit identity, scale, and multi-school portfolio.
- Santa Clara University: Private Jesuit Catholic research university in California of comparable size and mission, offering undergraduate, graduate, business, engineering, and law programs — directly comparable to USD's multi-school private Catholic structure and California private university market positioning.
- Loyola University Chicago: Private Catholic Jesuit urban research university of comparable size with law, business, nursing, and graduate professional schools — directly comparable to USD in Catholic Jesuit mission, urban private university profile, and professional school breadth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
University of San Diego social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of San Diego financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University of San Diego leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
University of San Diego funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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University of San Diego M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about University of San Diego
What does University of San Diego do?
The University of San Diego is a private Catholic non-profit research university that provides degree-based higher education across multiple schools, including the College of Arts and Sciences, Knauss School of Business, Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, USD School of Law, SOLES, Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, and Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. It delivers undergraduate liberal arts education, graduate and doctoral programs, JD and LLM pathways, and online asynchronous certificates (e.g., the 7-week public safety leadership practicum awarding transferable graduate credit) to prospective and enrolled students.
Is University of San Diego a public or private company?
University of San Diego is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was University of San Diego founded?
University of San Diego was founded in 1949. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is University of San Diego based?
University of San Diego is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does University of San Diego make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are philanthropic Giving and Major Gifts, scholarships and Fellowships Funding, international Programs and Study Abroad Revenue, competition and Event Revenue (Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge) and athletic Corporate Sponsorships.
Who are University of San Diego's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are University of Redlands, University of San Francisco, Pepperdine University, Gonzaga University, Seattle University, Loyola Marymount University, Chapman University, Marquette University, Santa Clara University and Loyola University Chicago.
Does University of San Diego have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of San Diego.
What industry is University of San Diego in?
University of San Diego's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHABAJ, Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.