How competitive is University of San Diego nursing admissions for undergraduates?

University of San Diego’s direct-entry undergraduate nursing program is notably more competitive than admission to USD overall. Nursing has a limited number of seats, and like most direct-admit BSN programs, it draws a large pool of applicants with strong grades in science and math. In practice, that means a student who might be competitive for USD generally is not automatically competitive for nursing.

USD does not always publish a separate nursing admit rate for first-year applicants, so there is not a simple official percentage to rely on each cycle. What is clear is that the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science enrolls a relatively small first-year nursing cohort, which makes the process selective even within an already selective university. Applicants are typically expected to show a strong academic record, especially in biology, chemistry, algebra, and other college-prep coursework.

For a high school junior building a list, the best way to think about USD nursing is as a reach or at least a high-target unless your academics are clearly above USD’s general admitted-student profile and you also have solid evidence of interest in health care. Strong nursing applicants often have rigorous coursework, high grades across all subjects, and sustained involvement that connects to service, health, caregiving, or community work.

Compared with other majors at USD, nursing is one of the harder entry points because you are applying to a capacity-limited professional program from the start. If you like USD, it makes sense to keep it on your list, but pair it with several other nursing options across different selectivity levels rather than treating it like a typical USD admission case.