Open Enrollment
Earn College Credits Online With Discover UC San Diego
Launch your college journey early through UC San Diego's Open Enrollment program, where high school students can access the same undergraduate courses taken by our university students, 100% online.
Why Open Enrollment?
Open enrollment allows students to take real UC San Diego courses while still in high school. Discover UC San Diego courses provide lower division credit. The courses are UC/CSU/CC transferable, and students will earn 4 quarter units at UC San Diego.
Headstart for Highschool Students
Transfer Credit to a UC/CSU/CC
Study 100% Online
How to Get Started
Courses are available to all students. Depending on your current status, please follow the instructions below to get started on your application.
For Unaffiliated High Schoolers
Start your college journey early with UC San Diego! High school students from non-partnering school districts, including students living outside the United States, can enroll in our courses for $1,958.43 per 4-unit course.
For Partner High Schoolers
UC San Diego's Discover program partners with various school districts in California for waived tuition. Click the button below to see if you qualify:
Request Information
Have Any Questions? Connect with a Program Representative today to learn more about the program before applying.
Fall 2025
Course Dates: 9/22/25 - 12/5/25
Winter 2026
Course Dates: 1/5/26 - 3/20/26
Spring 2026
Course Dates: 3/30/26 - 6/12/26
Summer 2026
TBD
Important Deadlines
Finals week: Finals will be during the last week of the program (Week 11)
Deadline to apply: Application deadlines will be 1 month before the course starts.
Drop deadline with a refund: Friday of Week 2
No refunds will be provided after the refund deadline Requests for drops and refunds must be sent in writing before the deadlines
List of Courses Available for Open Enrollment Every Quarter
Intro to Computer Science and Object-Oriented Programming: Python
COMPUTER SCIENCE
This course provides an introduction to computer science and programming using the Python language.
World Wisdom Traditions
CLASSICAL STUDIES
Examine and compare multiple World Wisdom Traditions that developed in the ancient world, including religions and philosophical schools.
Exploring the Musical Mind
MUSIC
Explore research from psychologists, cognitive scientists, neuroscientists, evolutionary biologists, philosophers, ethnomusicologists, and more, to illuminate how we hear and how we become musical.
The Atmosphere
MARINE SCIENCE
This course describes the distinguishing features of the Earth’s atmosphere, providing a non-technical overview of the role of the atmosphere in meteorology and climate sciences.
Additional Information
Application Process
Students will be notified of acceptance within 5 business days of submitting their application. Accepted students must submit payment within 7 business days to reserve their spot in the course.
Fees
Full payment of all fees is required at the time of registration. Fees for Open Enrollment courses are assessed per unit at the rate of UC San Diego Summer Session tuition from the previous summer. All fees are subject to change without notice. The current fee is $1958.43 per 4 unit course. Students may take up to 3 courses at a time.
Policies
Open Enrollment students are part of the UC San Diego community and are expected to follow University and UC-wide policies, including the Student Conduct Code and UCSD Policy on Integrity of Scholarship.
Open enrollment students earn full academic credit and participate in courses just like matriculated UC San Diego students, and are subject to the same conditions, requirements, and standards.
Unless enrolling on a non-credit basis, students may take courses either for a letter grade or pass/no pass grade (pass is a C- or better).
Dropping/Withdrawing
You can submit drop or withdrawal requests from your MyExtension student portal or in writing by sending an email to unex-reg@ucsd.edu. The email should contain your name, student ID number (U##—##—####), course number, and name (e.g., BILD 2—Multicellular Life).
Refunds will be granted if you submit a drop request in writing prior to the refund deadline.
Admission to the University of California
Enrolling in open enrollment courses does not in itself provide preference in admission to the University of California degree programs. Students interested in applying to UC degree programs should refer to the UC Admissions website or the admissions office of the UC campus they wish to attend for details about the admissions process.
If offered admission, students will need to submit an official transcript from UC San Diego Extension. UC San Diego Extension will review and award the credit after the student accepts the offer of admission.
Students can request transcripts after course completion through Parchment. More information can be found HERE.
Have any questions?
Complete the form below to get in touch with a program manager today.