Is Northwestern generally more selective than UC San Diego?

Northwestern is generally considered more selective overall than UC San Diego.

A student who is competitive for Northwestern typically needs not only very strong grades and course rigor but also a distinctive academic, creative, research, leadership, or community profile. Northwestern’s private-school admissions process also places substantial weight on essays, recommendations, extracurricular impact, and fit with the particular undergraduate school or program.

UC San Diego is also highly selective. It draws many applicants with excellent academic records, but as a large public university, it enrolls a much larger first-year class and evaluates applicants within the UC application framework.

For a senior building a balanced list, Northwestern should be treated as a very high reach for almost everyone, including applicants with top grades and substantial accomplishments. UC San Diego may also be a reach, but it can be more attainable than Northwestern for students whose academic record is especially strong in the UC context. Neither school is a reliable target solely because an applicant’s grades or scores appear to match its typical admitted students.