UCSD students start at CAPS — prepaid, with urgent same-day consultation alongside scheduled care, and counselors attached to the college system so Sixth and Revelle students aren't all funneling through one door. It's a brief-treatment shop like every UC: get your session count and referral plan stated at intake.
UC SHIP makes off-campus real: San Diego's private bench is deep, with fees a notch below LA ($140–220 typical) and a strong associate → layer at $50–120. La Jolla itself prices like La Jolla — the move is widening the radius to Clairemont, Hillcrest, and North Park, or to anywhere in California by video →. CAPS referral coordinators plus the 5-day method → beat either alone.
Parent's-plan students: the confidential-communications request → keeps billing paperwork off the kitchen table. Lean-budget students and grads: Medi-Cal eligibility runs on current income → — San Diego County's access line is (888) 724-7240 — and financial aid doesn't count against it. International students: therapy is confidential, full stop, and CAPS is used to visa-stress presentations.
Sources: UCSD CAPS — caps.ucsd.edu · UC SHIP — ucop.edu · San Diego County BHS access line (888) 724-7240 (verified Aug 2026) · TherapyCalifornia fee dataset, August 2026.