Territories

The chart below shows this growth over time. In Fall 2020, UC San Diego received about 120,000 total applications. By Fall 2025, that number climbed to more than 160,000, which is an increase of roughly one-third in just five years. The teal bars represent first-year applications, and the pink bars represent transfer applications.

It is crucial to remember that each application represents a student...their achievements, persistence, and hope to become part of our Triton community. Your work as an external reader directly supports that goal. By reviewing each file with care and consistency, you help uphold UC San Diego’s commitment to access and opportunity at one of the nation’s leading public universities.

For our read process, external readers are assigned to specific territories, which include applications from regions across California as well as out-of-state schools. Working closely with their team leads, readers help ensure that every student receives a fair, thoughtful, and holistic review. To explore your territory in more depth, please select the appropriate subheader.