UC San Diego

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.

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

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

• Public research university
• Higher education programs
• Professional certificate programs
• Corporate training services
• Scientific research infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

La Jolla

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Brain CorpcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Brain 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.orgflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Google 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 EnterprisecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026UC 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026UC 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)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2026UC 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 VineyardsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2026The 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 AtomicsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 September 2025Scientists 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/UCSDExtension
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/UCSanDiegoExtendedStudies
• Facebookfacebook.com/UCSanDiegoExtendedStudies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/uc-san-diego-extended-studies
• Instagraminstagram.com/ucsdextendedstudies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UC San Diego