Far WestSuburbanPublic4-yearSocial & ScienceTarget

University of California-Santa Barbara

Selective — strong academics get you in the conversation.

Santa Barbara, CA23,205 students
Acceptance Rate
33%
selective
Median SAT
Net Price After Aid
$13.8k
Sticker $45.7k
Graduation Rate
85%
6-year, full-time

University of California-Santa Barbara is a public institution in Santa Barbara, CA with an acceptance rate of 33% and 23,205 students. The average net price after financial aid is $13,825 per year.

About University of California-Santa Barbara

A public 4-year suburban university in Santa Barbara, CA.

University of California-Santa Barbara is a college in Santa Barbara, CA. It enrolls roughly 23,205 students. The most recent acceptance rate is 33%.

Far WestSuburbanPublic4-yearSocial & Science
Acceptance Rate
33%
Selective
Total Enrollment
23,205
Very Large
Retention
92%
First-years returning
Graduation Rate
85%
6-year, full-time

Your chances at this school

A clear-eyed view of how your profile compares to admitted students — and the things that would move your odds the most.

Acceptance Rate
33%
33 of every 100 applicants admitted
Your Chances
Sign in to see your personalized probability.
Admitted Student GPA
3.84
Average across admitted students

Selective — strong academics get you in the conversation. Here is what would make your application as competitive as possible.

Things that would move your odds the most

  1. Maintain a GPA of 3.84 or higher
    Admitted students typically present grades at or above this level.
  2. Build a single deep extracurricular peak
    Depth beats breadth at selective schools — one nationally-visible accomplishment outperforms ten clubs.
  3. Strengthen one teacher recommendation
    A specific, personal letter from a teacher who knows your work moves the needle.

Probability is based on a model trained on historical admissions data. It is a guide, not a guarantee. Admissions decisions weigh essays, recommendations, and fit factors that aren't in the data.

Admissions

What it actually takes to get into University of California-Santa Barbara. Test scores, GPA, application requirements, and deadlines.

Cost & financial aid

Published costs can be misleading. Here's what families actually pay at University of California-Santa Barbara after grants and scholarships.

Sticker price
Tuition $45,742
Average net price after aid
$13,825
After grants and scholarships

Net price by family income

Average amount paid out of pocket — tuition, fees, and room & board minus all grant aid.

$0 – $30,000
$7,745
$30,001 – $48,000
$8,910
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,398
$75,001 – $110,000
N/A
$110,001 +
$30,085

Net price represents the average cost after grants and scholarships for students receiving federal financial aid.

Pell Grant Recipients
28%
Need-based federal grant
Take Federal Loans
20%
Avg loan $11,875 / year
Avg Grant Aid
Per receiving student / year

Academics & majors

Where students at University of California-Santa Barbara concentrate, and how the classroom experience scales.

Student : Faculty
Class-size proxy
Primary Focus
Social & Science
27% of degrees awarded
Retention
92%
First-years returning
A breakdown of the top majors by share of degrees awarded ships once we finish backfilling per-school program data.

Student body

Who attends University of California-Santa Barbara. Enrollment, diversity, and where students come from.

Race & ethnicity

  • White36%
  • Asian21%
  • Hispanic29%
  • Black2%
  • International11%

Gender

  • Female58%
  • Male42%
International
10%
Of total enrollment
Live on Campus
Undergraduate residential rate
Total Enrollment
23,205

Outcomes after graduation

What University of California-Santa Barbara graduates do next — and what they earn.

Median Earnings
$74.9k
10 years after enrollment
Employed at 2 yrs
Working or in grad school
Pursue Grad School
Within 5 years
Graduation Rate
85%
6-year, full-time

What this means

$75k is well above the national bachelor's-graduate median at the 10-year mark, and a 85% graduation rate puts University of California-Santa Barbara in the top tier nationally.

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