UC San Diego
UC San Diego is a major public research university in La Jolla, California, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs alongside federally funded research in AI, quantum computing, oceanography, and engineering via the Jacobs School, SDSC, and Scripps Institution.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersLa Jolla, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What UC San Diego does
UC San Diego is a public research university and constituent campus of the University of California system, founded in 1960 and headquartered in La Jolla, California. It serves undergraduate, graduate, and professional students across degree programs in engineering, sciences, humanities, and AI — including California's first undergraduate AI major launched in 2026 with over 100 students enrolled in CSE 25: Intro to AI during its first quarter. The university operates leading research infrastructure including the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) with the Expanse supercomputer, the Qualcomm Institute (Calit2), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Jacobs School of Engineering, and the newly established Halıcıoğlu School of Data Science and Computing, the latter created with $125 million in combined giving and integrating SDSC as a unified computing and data science hub.
The university's research portfolio spans AI and machine learning, quantum computing (via the $10M REPLIQA partnership with Google Quantum AI), semiconductor chip design (the DARPA-funded OpenROAD open-source EDA tool downloaded over 1,000 times daily), biotechnology (CRISPR-based antibiotic resistance counter-technology), neuroscience, atmospheric science (the $19.7M AQPI radar network), precision agriculture (Iron Horse Vineyards digital twin), and fusion energy (the DOE-funded FEDER data platform with General Atomics). UC San Diego generates revenue through tuition and fees for degree programs, the Division of Extended Studies (corporate training, certificate programs, international programs, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute), federally sponsored research grants (DOE, DARPA, NIH, NSF, Google.org), and ancillary campus services such as lodging and event hosting. GTM is hybrid: direct-to-consumer for student enrollment, channel/employer partnerships for corporate education, and global international program services.
UC San Diego firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UC San Diego
- Legal name
- Regents of the University of California
- Website
- https://extension.ucsd.edu
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- UC San Diego is a major public research university in La Jolla, California, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs alongside federally funded research in AI, quantum computing, oceanography, and engineering via the Jacobs School, SDSC, and Scripps Institution.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UC San Diego industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education and Research
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (61), Computer Training (611420), Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (33411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB)
Keywords
Where UC San Diego is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Jolla
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
UC San Diego business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees - Degree Programs: UC San Diego generates revenue through undergraduate, graduate, and professional tuition and fees from its degree-granting programs across engineering, sciences, humanities, and other academic divisions.
- Extended Studies and Professional Education: The Division of Extended Studies generates revenue through certificate programs, professional development courses, corporate training, international programs, and continuing education offerings, with both self-paced and cohort-based formats.
- Campus Lodging and Facilities Rental: UC San Diego generates revenue through campus lodging programs such as Comic-Con housing for students, and facility rental income from hosting events and conferences on campus.
- Research Grants and Sponsored Programs: UC San Diego receives significant funding through federal agencies (DOE, DARPA, NIH, NSF), private foundations (Google.org), and industry partnerships for research across computing, life sciences, engineering, and oceanography.
- Soil Health Center and Environmental Research: The Soil Health Center at Scripps Institution of Oceanography conducts climate and food security research, likely supported by research grants and environmental agency partnerships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One time/ perpetual license | Early bird Comic-Con 2026 campus lodging |
| Subscription | One time/ perpetual license | Standard Comic-Con 2026 campus lodging |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
UC San Diego product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UC San Diego is a public research university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs, professional certificate and continuing education courses through its Division of Extended Studies, and corporate custom training. It also operates advanced research infrastructure including the San Diego Supercomputer Center, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Qualcomm Institute, producing research across AI, quantum computing, semiconductor design, oceanography, and biotechnology.
Product overview
UC San Diego offers educational programs including California's first undergraduate AI major and the Halıcıoğlu School of Data Science and Computing (with $125M endowment), alongside research initiatives such as the GAIA Initiative for Earth and Ocean Sciences. The Division of Extended Studies provides professional certificates, corporate training, and international programs. Research computing capabilities include Expanse supercomputer access for students and San Diego Supercomputer Center resources supporting applications from precision agriculture to fusion energy research.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Division of Extended Studies: Continuing education and professional development division offering courses, certificates, and programs for adult learners and professionals
- Halıcıoğlu School of Data Science and Computing
- Jacobs School of Engineering
Products and services
- Undergraduate AI Major
- Division of Extended Studies Certificate Programs
- Corporate Education and Custom Training
- International Programs
- Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
- Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Training
- Post Baccalaureate Premedical Program
- Degree Plus Program
- Pre-College Programs
- Halıcıoğlu School of Data Science and Computing
- GAIA Initiative
- Soil Health Center
- Expanse Supercomputer Access Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 students enrolled in first AI major-specific course (CSE 25) within its first quarter
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use UC San Diego
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
UC San Diego technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature8 records
UC San Diego partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Brain CorpcoreBrain Corp expanded its research collaboration with UC San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering to advance semantic mapping and contextual intelligence technologies for autonomous robots operating in complex commercial and industrial environments. The collaboration develops a 'contextual grounding layer' giving robots situational awareness. Brain Corp contributes real-world operational data from over 50,000 autonomous mobile robots and 25 million hours of commercial deployments.
- Google Quantum AI and Google.orgflagshipGoogle Quantum AI and Google.org launched the $10 million REPLIQA (Research Program at the Intersection of Life Sciences & Quantum AI) initiative, providing foundational funding to five academic institutions including UC San Diego to apply quantum computing and AI to molecular biology research such as protein folding and drug metabolism, aiming to develop quantum-enhanced AI algorithms toward utility-scale quantum advantage in life sciences by the early 2030s.
- Quantum Machines and Hewlett Packard EnterprisecoreUC San Diego's Qualcomm Institute hosted a convening contributing to California's Quantum California initiative, a public-private effort to establish the state as a global quantum computing leader. The event was sponsored by Quantum Machines and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, bringing together Nobel laureates, company CEOs, and CTOs to address quantum scaling challenges and identify compelling applications.
- Colorado State University and NOAA (AQPI Coalition)coreUC San Diego partnered with Colorado State University and NOAA in the AQPI coalition to develop a $19.7 million radar network featuring six new installations across Bay Area counties, enabling faster and higher-resolution tracking of atmospheric river storms than existing National Weather Service systems. The system will be operated by CIRA before transitioning to Scripps leadership on July 1, 2026.
- World Fencing League (WFL)minorUC San Diego and the World Fencing League announced a strategic partnership to support fencing growth through athlete development, visibility, and pathways from collegiate competition to the professional stage. The collaboration coincides with the WFL's debut of a new professional league in Los Angeles in April 2026, with both organizations committed to ongoing dialogue on additional initiatives.
- Iron Horse VineyardsminorThe San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego supports a precision agriculture project at Iron Horse Vineyards in Sonoma County, California, using sensors, drones, high-speed networks, and AI to develop a digital twin of the vineyard enabling real-time data analysis and simulation to optimize crop yields and resource use, with plans to expand across California agriculture.
- General AtomicsflagshipScientists at General Atomics lead the FEDER (Fusion Energy Data Ecosystem and Repository) multi-institution initiative, with UC San Diego's San Diego Supercomputer Center playing a key role. This multimillion-dollar initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the FIRE Collaborative, aims to create a standardized national data platform uniting scattered fusion research data and workflows to accelerate commercial fusion power, targeting a fusion pilot plant by the 2040s.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
UC San Diego competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Carnegie Mellon University: Research university globally recognized for computer science and AI, directly comparable to UCSD's AI major launch and computing research footprint.
- UCLA: Another UC-system flagship public research university directly competing with UCSD for in-state students, federal research grants, and faculty in engineering, AI, and life sciences.
- Stanford University: California-based elite private research university competing for the same AI, quantum, and semiconductor research talent and industry partnerships as UCSD.
- California Institute of Technology (Caltech): STEM-focused California research university competing for federal research funding, quantum computing talent, and high-caliber STEM students in adjacent disciplines.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Top-tier global research university with comparable leadership in AI, computing infrastructure, quantum research, and semiconductor/EDA initiatives.
- University of Michigan: Large public research university with national-laboratory-scale computing resources, comparable interdisciplinary research portfolio, and similar student population scale.
- UC Berkeley: Sister campus within the UC system and one of the top public research universities globally, with comparable graduate programs, federal research funding, and competing AI and data science initiatives.
- University of Washington: Top public research university with major computing initiatives and Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science, competing for cloud and AI industry partnerships similar to UCSD's Google and Brain Corp deals.
- Georgia Institute of Technology: Public research university with strong engineering, computing, and AI programs that competes with UCSD for federal research dollars and STEM graduate students.
- UC Davis: UC-system peer campus with overlapping research in agriculture, environmental science, and life sciences, competing for system-level funding and student applicants.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
UC San Diego social profiles
Digital presenceUC San Diego financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UC San Diego leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
UC San Diego subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
UC San Diego funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UC 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 UC San Diego
What does UC San Diego do?
UC San Diego is a public research university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs, professional certificate and continuing education courses through its Division of Extended Studies, and corporate custom training. It also operates advanced research infrastructure including the San Diego Supercomputer Center, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Qualcomm Institute, producing research across AI, quantum computing, semiconductor design, oceanography, and biotechnology.
Is UC San Diego a public or private company?
UC San Diego is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was UC San Diego founded?
UC San Diego was founded in 1960. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is UC San Diego based?
UC San Diego is headquartered in La Jolla, United States, in the North America region.
How does UC San Diego make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees - Degree Programs are the primary driver. The others are extended Studies and Professional Education, campus Lodging and Facilities Rental, research Grants and Sponsored Programs and soil Health Center and Environmental Research.
Who are UC San Diego's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Carnegie Mellon University, UCLA, Stanford University, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, University of Washington, Georgia Institute of Technology and UC Davis.
Does UC San Diego have an API?
No public API is recorded for UC San Diego.
What industry is UC San Diego in?
UC San Diego's product category is Higher Education and Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHABAB, STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences). Its NAICS code is 6113.