Dining Plans at UC San Diego
At UC San Diego, we believe in empowering students to choose a dining plan that best suits their lifestyle and needs while living on campus. That’s why our dining plans are designed as an a la carte system compared to an all-you-care-to-eat program. Students have the control and flexibility of how to spend their Dining Dollars every time they eat or shop at our nearly 20 residential dining and market locations throughout the university. Plus, all our dining plans come with a minimum of $500 in Triton Cash, accepted at more than 60 locations on and off campus.
A Dining Program Unique to UC San Diego
We recognize that for a campus as diverse as UC San Diego, it is important to create an inclusive campus in which students and our community feel seen, heard and represented, especially through our dining offerings. We continually strive to offer a diverse and inclusive dining program, which currently includes a year-round menu and multiple food platforms dedicated to cuisine inspired by the African Diaspora, the largest halal-certified residential dining facility in the nation, certified kosher menus, a wide array of vegan options and a reduced allergen dining program.
Students can use their Dining Dollars at any of our residential dining and market locations, regardless of their residential community. This includes our three markets that feature Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, which eliminates checkout lines and saves valuable time for students. Dining Dollars are also linked to the Triton2Go mobile ordering app, which provides students the ease of ordering ahead and receiving a notification when their order is ready for pickup. In addition, we offer extended hours of operation, understanding that students have busy and varying schedules.
And that’s not all; as part of our dining program, we offer a diverse array of monthly events throughout our dining locations packed with fun activities, live entertainment, specialty menu items and plenty of opportunities for connection and engagement.
Dining Dollars rollover from year to year as long as a student remains enrolled in an active dining plan. If a student chooses not to select a dining plan for the next year, Dining Dollars will expire at the end of the following fall quarter. For example, Dining Dollars from academic year 2024-25 will expire at the end of Fall Quarter 2025 if no dining plan is selected for the 2025-26 academic year.
Read more about our newsworthy dining program on our “In the News” page.
Support for Students with Special Dietary Needs
Students who observe a special diet that is medically necessitated or a cultural/lifestyle choice also have access to on-site registered dietitians who can assist with daily meal planning needs. To request a consultation, please complete the form.
Selecting Your Dining Plan
We created an online worksheet to help guide students in their selection of a dining plan that fits what they’re looking for. Click below to get started.