A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    A
  2. Value
    A
  3. Diversity
    A
  4. Campus
    A
  5. Athletics
    B+
  6. Party Scene
    A+
  7. Professors
    A+
  8. Location
    A-
  9. Dorms
    B+
  10. Campus Food
    A
  11. Student Life
    A+
  12. Safety
    C+
View Full Report Card
University of California - Santa Barbara is ...
Public
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I (without football)
Athletic Conference
Big West Conference
Address
5221 Cheadle Hall
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Website
ucsb.edu

University of California - Santa Barbara Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Admissions

Acceptance Rate
33%
Application Deadline
November 30
SAT Range
1090-1360
ACT Range
26-31
Application Fee
$70
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Will You Get In?

Test Scores and GPA for University of California - Santa Barbara

Cost

Net Price
$16,211/ year
National
$15,403
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $9,546/ year
  • $30-48k
    $10,892/ year
  • $49-75k
    $14,451/ year
  • $76-110k
    $21,503/ year
  • $110k+
    $30,720/ year

Academics

Professors
A+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
17:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
77%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.247 responses
37%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.256 responses
56%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.256 responses

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Sociology
    514 Graduates
  • Economics
    507 Graduates
  • Research and Experimental Psychology
    478 Graduates
  • Communications
    409 Graduates
  • International Studies
    387 Graduates
  • Biology
    270 Graduates
  • Political Science and Government
    269 Graduates
  • Environmental Studies
    234 Graduates
  • English
    195 Graduates
  • Mathematics & Statistics
    180 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
20,243Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
2%
Pell Grant
38%
Varsity Athletes
2%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 155 responses
Report
  • Work hard, party hard
    34%
  • Studious, but can party
    15%
  • Balanced
    14%
  • Party hard, study harder
    14%
  • Everyone's different
    7%
  • Athletic, smart, liberal, good-looking
    5%
  • Extremely chill
    4%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
—
Poll
56%
of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.356 responses
Poll
57%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.398 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 153 responses
Report
  • Work hard play hard
    55%
  • Balance work and play
    32%
  • Awesome
    6%
  • Many options
    3%
  • "Sleep when you're dead" - School's motto
    3%
  • Undescribable
    1%
  • Use your time wisely and towards school
    1%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$52,000/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
81%
National
48%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
91%
National
83%
61%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.159 responses
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University of California - Santa Barbara Reviews

4,103 reviews
All Categories
I love UCSB. I just completed my first year here, and dorming was such an invaluable experience I wish I could relive over and over again. The professors are grossly invested in and passionate about what they do and their students, and it makes learning all that much more exciting. The overall community is very welcoming and friendly, and it invites its students to get involved with the abundance of clubs, sports, and Greek life opportunities it has available! The campus is beautiful and boasts a nearby beach for students to relax away at at their leisure.
Review University of California - Santa Barbara
Although I have to admit that UCSB was no where near my first choice college, I've completely and utterly fallen in love with my school and just can't see myself anywhere else. Academics are the perfect level of rigor and the course load is quite manageable (especially if you've come in with AP credit), balancing a social life is absolutely doable, and what better place to spend your college years than living right next to the beach! The only complaint I would bring up is that UCSB is not very racially diverse, and as a black student it's easy to sometimes feel as if you don't fit in simply because there are not many students who look like you. I was well aware of the diversity stats coming in though, and can honestly say that overall I feel quite accepted here and I'm proud to be a part of the Gaucho family.
This school is utterly fantastic. I came here out of state and it's almost everything I expected in terms of academics and student life. This school has great programs in econ, communications, engineering, and tons more and it's generally not too stressful to handle unless it's dead week. This is the kind of campus that you just feel great being here. IV is right next door and it has some pretty great food spots and I get great vibes from the housing and students living here (I'll be moving here next year as well). Weather is chillier than I thought but it's awesome being on the beach everyday and parties by the ocean have been unforgettable. The people here are cool and unique, so you will surly find your niche here in due time. There seem to always be parties/socials going on too if you're into that! I have much more to experience in my time here but UCSB has treated me very well and I encourage anybody to at least apply here. In conclusion,come to this school; you won't regret it.