Is Duke or UC San Diego harder to get into for undergraduate science majors?

For a typical undergraduate applicant interested in biology or another natural science, Duke is generally harder to gain admission to than UC San Diego. Duke has a substantially more selective overall first-year admission process, and applicants are admitted to Duke’s undergraduate division rather than to a biology major with a separate freshman admission standard.

Duke is the tougher reach for students whose profiles are strong across academics, activities, recommendations, and essays. A prospective scientist should show serious intellectual engagement with science, but Duke also looks for evidence of contribution beyond a single academic specialty, such as research curiosity, community involvement, leadership, or creative interests.

UC San Diego is also highly selective, particularly for applicants drawn to its science-focused campus culture and major research strengths. Applicants apply with intended majors, and some science-related programs can have capacity constraints or be more competitive than others.

For a California resident, UC San Diego may be the more attainable of the two, though it remains a reach for many strong students. Treat Duke as the more difficult admission target overall and UC San Diego as a very selective option whose competitiveness can vary somewhat by residency and intended major.