Acceptance Rate
33%
Avg. SAT
1520
75th percentile
“Where Gauchos bike to class past palm trees and crashing waves, blending beach bonfires with breakthrough science at a sun-drenched UC powerhouse.”
Santa Barbara, CA
Location
Midsize Suburb
Campus Setting
You arrive at UCSB's beachfront campus, founded in 1891 as a modest teacher-training school and absorbed into the UC system during World War II to train veterans, now sprawling across cliffs overlooking the Pacific with direct access to a lagoon and sands where students surf between seminars. This public giant draws ambitious Californians and out-of-staters who crave a mix of intellectual rigor and endless summer vibes—think outgoing surfers who double as physics majors, eco-activists debating policy over beach volleyball, and film buffs scripting indie hits. Santa Barbara envelops you in upscale coastal charm: boutique shops, Spanish missions, and whale-watching hikes, but the pricey living (expect $2,000+ monthly rent in student-packed Isla Vista) and tourist crowds mean you'll budget carefully. Tradeoffs hit hard—its party-school fame overshadows the academics for some, and the massive scale (25,000 undergrads) can feel impersonal if you prefer small seminars over stadium lectures.
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In UCSB classrooms, professors like those from the elite chemistry department—home to multiple Nobel winners—dive into hands-on labs where you synthesize nanomaterials or model quantum behaviors, fueled by the campus's six Kavli Institutes drawing global researchers. You'll thrive if you love collaborative buzz: film students edit features on state-of-the-art lots rivaling USC's, marine biologists kayak to kelp forests for fieldwork, and psych majors crunch data in sunlit labs, all with a 17:1 ratio that means accessible office hours amid the palm groves. The intellectual culture pulses with undergrad research—over half participate—but tradeoffs emerge in weeder courses that cull GPAs early, especially in competitive STEM tracks, and large intro lectures that test your self-motivation.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
23,181 undergrad • 2,952 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
32%
Black / African American
2%
Hispanic / Latino
25%
Asian
18%
Other / Multi-racial
23%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Santa Barbara, CA
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
A typical week kicks off with sunrise yoga on the beach, segues to biking (no cars allowed on much of campus) past eucalyptus groves for 8 a.m. lectures, then explodes into Isla Vista's Friday night block parties where bonfires rage and live bands draw thousands. Gaucho pride unites everyone during Homecoming's massive Luau with Polynesian dancers and foam pits, while 450+ clubs—from ultimate frisbee to sustainable farming—fill weekends alongside hiking Gaviota State's peaks or volunteering at local wineries. Residential life starts strong in themed dorms like the all-vegan Manzanita Village, but most upperclassmen scatter to IV's chaotic co-ops and houses, fostering tight friend groups yet transient vibes. The social scene skews outgoing and hookup-heavy, progressive with LGBTQ+ hubs, but the relentless partying (Deltopia draws 20,000) overwhelms introverts, and foggy winters plus earthquake risks add grit to the paradise.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Big West Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
No
Air Force
No
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Credit for military training
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Recognized student veteran organization
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
93%
4 Years Graduation Rate
77%
6 Years Graduation Rate
88%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$74,915
93% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at University of California-Santa Barbara and return in the fall. 77% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 88% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
77%
4-6 years
11%
Non-grad
12%
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Key Statistics
Type
Public
Tuition
$11,564
Acceptance
33%
Undergrads
23,181
4-Year Grad Rate
77%
Endowment
$377M
Santa Barbara, CA 93106