Comparable Schools'
Parking Grades:
Quick Stats
Common Parking Tickets
- Fire lane - $100
- Handicapped zone - $350
- No parking zone - $50
Freshmen Allowed to Park
Yes
Approximate Parking Permit Cost
- $280 per year for commuters
- $290 per year for residents
Parking Permits
Faculty is allowed to park in special faculty spots (but they do cost twice as much). Resident students have different parking rates and privileges than commuters. Motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters have their own designated spots and permits.
College Prowler Take
Animosity towards the parking situation is one of the most universally held sentiments on campus. Passes are expensive and they don’t guarantee a spot at all. Students can become infuriated by the confusing parking regulations and are often put off by not being able to park where graduate students and professors can. A good rule of thumb is if the spot seems too good to be true, it probably is. Parking enforcement is efficient and strict and when it comes to illegal parking, they are the Delta Force of meter maids. Trying to sneak by in an illegal or undesignated spot is just asking for trouble. Fines can get into the hundreds of dollars. Parking in popular off-campus living locations is not much better.
USD can’t be totally blamed for the abysmal parking situation. Parking is a nightmare all over San Diego. There are a few new parking structures, and parking is better than it was in the past, but students still detest the daily search for a spot and the usual long walk after they find one. Living on campus alleviates the problem a little, as you are guaranteed a spot near your dorm. But commuting to campus is its own little piece of hell. The best possible advice to overcoming parking meltdown is to either get to campus early, or take the shuttle or public transportation. Where it is legal to park is an entirely different issue. Every year, someone seems to come up with a plan to buy a van and run some kind of fantasy campus vanpool, but this does more to illustrate the need for escapist parking fantasies than reveal student business acumen. The Campus Tram will become your salvation. Use it.
Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
Anonymous says:  |
Parking is a problem, but where in...
Parking is a problem, but where in Southern California isn’t it? |
Anonymous says: |
Parking is available, but...
Parking is available, but sometimes it’s far away. But, there is a tram that comes about every 10 minutes. |
Anonymous says: |
The parking is pretty much...
The parking is pretty much horrendous, although since they put in the West Parking Structure, it has become easier. The only problem there is that you have to rely on the shuttle, which will inevitably make you late. |
Anonymous says: |
Parking? Nope. We’re a growing...
Parking? Nope. We’re a growing campus and parking is hard, especially midday when classes are going on. |
Anonymous says: |
Parking is crazy. There are too...
Parking is crazy. There are too many cars and not enough spots. |
Did You Know?
Best Places to Find a Parking Spot
More like the best time. The earlier you arrive, the better. The West Campus Parking Structure occasionally yields a spot.
University Terrace Apartments is a great place to live as a sophomore, mostly because of the available parking.
Good Luck Getting a Parking Spot Here!
Anywhere near main campus between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
For the Record, USD Parking Policy reads:
“Commuter student parking is restricted to white lined non-reserved spaces on the main campus and in the fringe parking areas. Parking is also available on the third, fourth, and fifth floors of the East Parking Structure. From 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday, parking is allowed in the yellow faculty/staff spaces and reserved spaces except for timed parking, 24-hour reserved spaces, or USD-only spaces.”
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