UCSD Important Dates 2026 to 27 for Parents

How the year is laid out

UC San Diego's official dates come from the registrar's Academic and Administrative Calendar. Each quarter has a "quarter begins" date, an "instruction begins" date that is often a few days later, a last day of instruction, and then a full week of final exams that usually opens on a Saturday. The quarter ends the day finals end.

Fall 2026

Instruction began Thursday, Sept 24. Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov 11, is a campus holiday. Thanksgiving is Thursday and Friday, Nov 26 and 27. Classes end Friday, Dec 4, and finals run Saturday, Dec 5 to Saturday, Dec 12.

Winter 2027

Classes start on the first day of the quarter, Monday, Jan 4. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan 18) and Presidents' Day (Feb 15) are holidays. Instruction ends Friday, March 12, and finals run Saturday, March 13 to Saturday, March 20.

Spring 2027

The quarter begins Wednesday, March 24, and classes start Monday, March 29. Farmworkers Day, Friday, March 26, is a holiday, and Memorial Day is observed Monday, May 31. Classes end Friday, June 4, and finals run Saturday, June 5 to Friday, June 11.

Booking flights around breaks

Thanksgiving is short here. Only the Thursday and Friday are off, so there is no full week at home, and a cross country trip means a tight long weekend.

Winter break is the long one. Parent and Family Programs lists it as Dec 13 to Jan 3, and campus is in holiday closure from Dec 24 to Jan 1. A student with an exam on Saturday, Dec 12 cannot count on leaving before that evening, so look at the final exam schedule before you buy a ticket. According to the housing contract, dining serves its last meal at dinner on Dec 12 and reopens at dinner on Jan 3, with one designated market open in between except on university holidays. Housing lists early move in for winter quarter starting at noon on Saturday, Jan 2.

Spring break is about a week: March 21 to 28 on the parent calendar. Housing's calendar shows March 21 to 27, with spring early move in at noon on March 27, two days before classes.

Family Weekend

Family Weekend is Friday, Oct 16 to Sunday, Oct 18, 2026. Parent and Family Programs had not posted registration, cost or a schedule when we checked. The school's partner hotel list has one La Jolla property; the others are 10 to 20 minutes away in Mission Bay, Pacific Beach, Hotel Circle and around the bay. If you plan to come, a refundable reservation made now is easier to cancel than a room found late.

Commencement

The registrar lists commencement programs on Saturday, June 12 and Sunday, June 13, 2027. That Saturday is also when the 9 month housing contract ends at 3 pm, so graduation and move out share a weekend. Ceremony times and locations for 2027 were not posted yet; the commencement office answers at commencement@ucsd.edu.

Worth double checking

• Housing's 2026 to 27 calendar shows fall instruction ending Dec 11, while the registrar says Dec 4. Go with the registrar for classes.
• Your student's personal final exam times, which can land on a Saturday.
• Tuition and fee due dates. Student Financial Solutions lists Sept 30, 2026 for fall, while the Family Calendar shows different dates, so confirm winter and spring deadlines with Student Financial Solutions.