3.0(9 reviews)FMP Score
why it ranked: The top overall pick near UCSD, at 3.0/5 from verified reviews. Love Topaz so much! Super nice housing.
$1610/person/moSafeGreat location10/10 would recommendGood maintenance
Find My Place AwardBest Overall · 2026
The 12 Best Overall Student Apartments Near UCSD (October 2026)
University of California, San DiegoSan Diego, CAUpdated Monthly
By the FMP Data Team · Reviewed October 1, 2026
75 properties reviewed
353+ reviews analyzed
updated October 2026
independentno pay-to-rank
the short answer
Topaz leads our October 2026 ranking of the 12 Best Overall student apartments near UCSD with a 3.0/5 FMP Score, followed by 6nineteen and Luxury Townhomes on Riley. Across the 75 properties reviewed, students keep coming back to amenities & shared spaces and management & maintenance: the overall signals that move a property up this ranking. Browse all off-campus housing near University of California, San Diego for every option.
- winnerTopaz
- FMP Score range3.0–5.0 / 5
- avg walk0 min to campus
- rent range$905–$4634 /person
the ranking
The 12 Best Overall Student Apartments Near UCSD
Sorted by FMP Score from verified UCSD reviews, high to low. Scores reflect current UCSD reviews only.
5.0(5 reviews)FMP Scorewhy it ranked: A podium finish for overall near UCSD, 5.0/5 from verified reviews.
I was an exchange student living at 6Nineteen in Fall 2025, and I honestly loved it from the second I moved in. The amenities are super new and modern, and every room has its own private…
$1499/person/mo
5.0(5 reviews)FMP Scorewhy it ranked: A podium finish for overall near UCSD, 5.0/5 from verified reviews.
Alexis Vazquez was wonderful to work with. She was always quick to respond, very knowledgeable, and incredibly helpful throughout the process. She took the time to explain things clearly…
5.0(5 reviews)FMP Scorewhy it ranked: Holds a 5.0/5 overall score from verified UCSD reviews.
I had an issue at the beginning of my stay and initially left a negative review, but the team responded quickly and handled it…
$1359/person/mo
5.0(5 reviews)FMP Scorewhy it ranked: Holds a 5.0/5 overall score from verified UCSD reviews.
My boyfriend and I have lived here for over two years now and absolutely love it. The maintenance crew is the best I have ever…
$2550/person/mo
5.0(5 reviews)FMP Scorewhy it ranked: Holds a 5.0/5 overall score from verified UCSD reviews.
Living here is a delight..you’ll see how gorgeous everything is and all the staff are friendly and quick to address anything…
$2624/person/mo
5.0(5 reviews)FMP Scorewhy it ranked: Holds a 5.0/5 overall score from verified UCSD reviews.
Zuma SDSU is seriously the best! The whole place is always clean and feels super well taken care of. Craig from maintenance is…
$905/person/mo
5.0(5 reviews)FMP Scorewhy it ranked: Holds a 5.0/5 overall score from verified UCSD reviews.
Gracie was super helpful! I had a bunch of questions about the rooms and leasing and she explained everything really clearly. She…
$1495/person/mo
5.0(5 reviews)FMP Scorewhy it ranked: Holds a 5.0/5 overall score from verified UCSD reviews.
An absolutely fantastic place to live! The building is beautifully maintained, the management is responsive and kind, and the…
$935/person/mo
5.0(5 reviews)FMP Scorewhy it ranked: Holds a 5.0/5 overall score from verified UCSD reviews.
Aztec Pacific consists of firstly of Erica and Joe, they are as professional as it gets with a degree of compassion which…
$1895/person/mo
4.8(5 reviews)FMP Scorewhy it ranked: Holds a 4.8/5 overall score from verified UCSD reviews.
moved in about a week ago and Sean who i'm assuming is the leasing manager was a great guy and super helpful during the process…
$1975/person/mo
4.6(5 reviews)FMP Scorewhy it ranked: Holds a 4.6/5 overall score from verified UCSD reviews.
I love this place! Everything is very clean and new (only three years old). Friendly neighbors and a nice manager. Nice friendly…
$2295/person/mo
The Full Ranking, One Table
Sort by any column. The rank stays with the property.| 1 | Topaz | 3.0/5 | 9 | – | $1610/mo |
| 2 | 6nineteen | 5.0/5 | 5 | – | $1499/mo |
| 3 | Luxury Townhomes on Riley | 5.0/5 | 5 | – | – |
| 4 | Paseo place | 5.0/5 | 5 | – | $1359/mo |
| 5 | Talmadge Canyon Park | 5.0/5 | 5 | – | $2550/mo |
| 6 | Atlas Alvarado | 5.0/5 | 5 | – | $2624/mo |
| 7 | Zuma Student Housing | 5.0/5 | 5 | – | $905/mo |
| 8 | Monte | 5.0/5 | 5 | – | $1495/mo |
| 9 | Prisma Student Housing | 5.0/5 | 5 | – | $935/mo |
| 10 | Aztec Pacific Apartments | 5.0/5 | 5 | – | $1895/mo |
| 11 | 64 Forty | 4.8/5 | 5 | – | $1975/mo |
| 12 | Talmadge Pacific Apartments | 4.6/5 | 5 | – | $2295/mo |
Walk times are door-to-door to UCSD campus. Rent is per person, per month.
FMP award criteria
How We Ranked These Apartments
1
Ranked by the FMP Score
FMP Score, high to low. That’s the whole ranking. It’s our overall measure of a property, combining verified review scores with signals reviews miss, like how current the listing is kept and how responsive management is. Ties go to the property with more verified reviews.
2
Who Makes the List
Every property near UCSD can appear, but it takes a minimum number of verified reviews before we score and rank it. Properties under that bar sit below every ranked property and move up automatically as reviews come in.
3
How We Calculate the FMP Score
The FMP Score blends the social, management, and quality scores from verified reviews with signals that a place is actively and well run, like how up to date its listing is kept and how consistently management responds to residents. It’s built to surface genuinely well-run properties, not just the highest raw review average.
by the numbers
What Makes an Apartment ‘well-rounded’ Near UCSD
We ran every verified overall review for UCSD-area apartments through theme analysis. These are the themes students bring up most when a place feels well-rounded, by share of the reviews that mention them.
Management & maintenance
79%
Unit & building quality
53%
Amenities & shared spaces
47%
Based on AI analysis of verified UCSD overall reviews, refreshed monthly. Percentages show the share of reviews that mention each theme; most reviews mention more than one. See our complete UCSD review data →
browse the awards
Other Best-Of Rankings Near UCSD
each fmp ranking re-ranks the same properties by a different lens (management and quality among them) and keeps its own list, refreshed monthly.
fmp award
Most Social
The most active social scenes: shared spaces, resident events, and roommate matching, scored from verified reviews.
see the ranking →fmp award
Best Management
The most responsive, reliable landlords: maintenance turnaround, lease transparency, and deposit fairness.
see the ranking →fmp award
Top Quality
The best unit and building quality: condition, upkeep, and amenities, scored from verified reviews.
see the ranking →faqs
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best overall student apartment near UCSD?
Topaz leads our October 2026 ranking of the 12 Best Overall student apartments near UCSD with a 3.0/5 FMP Score, followed by 6nineteen and Luxury Townhomes on Riley.
How is this ranking calculated?
This list is ranked by one number: each property's overall score from verified reviews. Students rate a property's overall 1 to 5, and we average those scores, counting recent reviews more heavily than older ones. No self-reported data from landlords.
What makes an apartment the best overall?
The best overall apartments score highly across everything students rate (social scene, management, and unit quality), not just one. This ranking uses each property's overall rating from verified reviews.
How often is this ranking updated?
Monthly. We re-pull verified reviews and re-score every property at the start of each month, so the order reflects the most recent 24 months of student feedback. The “updated” date at the top of the page shows the latest refresh.
How many reviews does a property need to be included?
There's a minimum number of verified reviews to rank by score, and we don't publish the exact bar so it can't be gamed. Properties under it still appear, below every qualified property and ordered by review count, so a 5.0 from one review never outranks a 4.5 from thirty. Once a property collects enough reviews, it moves into the scored ranking automatically.
Is this ranking independent, or can properties pay to rank higher?
It's fully independent. There's no pay-to-rank. Position is set by verified reviews alone. Property managers can't buy placement, remove reviews, or influence the score.
for property managers
Made the List? Get Your FMP Award Badge.
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Find My Place Award2026
11st place
Best Overall
student apartments near UCSD
Verified & independentUniversity of California, San Diego · San Diego, CA
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