How should I compare the college value of UC San Diego and Notre Dame?

Start with the four-year net cost, not the published price. Include tuition, housing, health insurance, travel, expected annual cost increases, and the terms of every grant or scholarship. Avoid treating parent loans or large private loans as financial aid.

Academically, UCSD has exceptional scale in engineering, computer science, biology, neuroscience, ocean sciences, and other research-intensive areas. Notre Dame offers a more undergraduate-centered environment, smaller-feeling academic communities, and particularly strong networks in business, consulting, finance, public service, and its broad alumni community.

UCSD is a large public university in La Jolla with a more independent, academically focused atmosphere and access to the wider San Diego area. Notre Dame has a highly cohesive residential community, prominent traditions, and a more structured campus social life. Choose the option whose cost leaves room for graduate school, internships, study abroad, and reasonable financial flexibility, rather than paying a premium primarily for prestige.