University of California-Santa Barbara is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Santa Barbara, California. It enrolls 23,113 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarQuarter
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Excellent
88/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes91
Value89
Affordability53
Selectivity92
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
University of California-Santa Barbara admits 33% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
33%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of California-Santa Barbara is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
1.8 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $16,109 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$16,414
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$50,614
Room & Board (on-campus)
$20,279
Room & Board (off-campus)
$17,047
Books & Supplies
$1,381
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$6,833
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$7,460
Total Cost of Attendance
$41,573
Application fee: $80 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$9,231
$30,001 – $48,000
$9,992
$48,001 – $75,000
$12,588
$75,001 – $110,000
$17,136
Over $110,000
$31,863
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,16610%percentile
$7,50025%percentile
$13,993Medianpercentile
$23,50075%percentile
$28,67790%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $11,698
↓ $2,295
No Pell $12,000
↓ $1,993
Dependent students $11,700
↓ $2,293
Independent students $12,500
↓ $1,493
Female students $11,832
↓ $2,161
Male students $11,974
↓ $2,019
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,500, less than completers ($13,993), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
65% of students who start here finish within six years, and 92% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
65%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
92%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $74,915 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$74,915
Earning > $25K
86%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$56,300
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$70,600
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$56,800
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$60,400
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$68,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $14,300, about 20% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
10.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 85% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 23,113 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 42% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
23,113
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
42%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 31.8%7,338
Hispanic 27.2%6,289
Asian 17.9%4,140
Other 9.7%2,237
International 8.8%2,025
Black 2.0%455
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of California-Santa Barbara. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of California-Santa Barbara offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
132 distinct programs across
19 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$17,563
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$377M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$178,195
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,104 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
519
47%
$237,008
Associate Professors
186
17%
$144,662
Assistant Professors
183
17%
$123,568
Lecturers
213
19%
$114,640
No Rank
3
0%
$84,121
Pros & Cons of University of California-Santa Barbara
No college is right for everyone. Here is where University of California-Santa Barbara is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, University of California-Santa Barbara is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about University of California-Santa Barbara
The questions families ask most about University of California-Santa Barbara, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is University of California-Santa Barbara hard to get into?
University of California-Santa Barbara is selective but not extremely competitive. Its acceptance rate is 33%. Strong academic credentials and a thoughtful application materially improve your odds.
What is the acceptance rate at University of California-Santa Barbara?
33% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does University of California-Santa Barbara cost?
Budget around $16,109 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of California-Santa Barbara worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $74,915 a year against a net price of $16,109, about 4.7 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is University of California-Santa Barbara known for?
Mostly Economics, Sociology, Experimental Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do University of California-Santa Barbara graduates earn?
About $74,915 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of California-Santa Barbara accredited?
Yes. University of California-Santa Barbara is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend University of California-Santa Barbara?
23,113 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at University of California-Santa Barbara?
65% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is University of California-Santa Barbara a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is University of California-Santa Barbara located?
University of California-Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California.
What programs does University of California-Santa Barbara offer?
132 different programs, most commonly Economics, Sociology, Experimental Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at University of California-Santa Barbara?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in California
Other colleges in California share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
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