Monthly Update
6.28.2024
The UC Santa Barbara Office of Admissions is happy to share that our summer workshops and webinars are now posted! Students who are looking at the freshman admissions process, the UC application and/or transfer admissions, can find workshops posted through August. These workshops will help rising seniors get ready for the UC application! Find a session and register today! Learn More
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Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?Data Sources
Academics
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Value
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Diversity
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Campus
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Athletics
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Party Scene
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Professors
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Location
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Dorms
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Student Life
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About
About UC Santa Barbara...
- Hispanic-Serving Institution
- Public College
- SAT/ACT Optional
- Branch of
- University of California System
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I (without football)
Athletic Conference
Big West Conference
- California
From University of California - Santa Barbara
WHY UCSB? IS IT BECAUSE OF OUR...
Inspirational Setting?
Academic excellence?
Social Intelligence?
Inclusive Community?
Global Impact?
Balance lifestyle?
THE ANSWER IS "ALL OF THE ABOVE!"
The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Teaching and research go hand-in-hand at UC Santa Barbara, and a majority of students are involved in the research process during their undergraduate studies.
Located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean just 90 minutes north of Los Angeles, students have access to a stunning living-learning environment with excellent weather and outdoor recreation.
Almost 90% of UCSB students are undergraduates. About 80% of students live walking, biking and/or skateboarding distance to class. The residential nature of the university means opportunities for undergraduates to shine inside and outside the classroom.
Upcoming Events
July2
UCSB Freshman Selection Overview
Virtual
View Event Description
Join UC Santa Barbara's Office of Admissions as we discuss the freshman admission and selection process. Hosted by an Admissions Counselor, this is a live event hosted in Zoom. During the session, we will share the freshman admissions process, including an overview of our colleges and majors and how we evaluate your UC application at UCSB.
Join UC Santa Barbara's Office of Admissions as we discuss the freshman admission and selection process. Hosted by an Admissions Counselor, this is a live event hosted in Zoom. During the session, we will share the freshman admissions process, including an overview of our colleges and majors and how we evaluate your UC application at UCSB.
July9
UC Application Overview Hosted by UCSB
Virtual
View Event Description
Join UCSB Admissions Counselors to discuss and view the UC Application in a live webinar. See the different sections of the UC application for freshman admission - fall 2025. Explore where we see common mistakes and get ready to work on your own UC application this fall.All nine undergraduate UC campuses share the UC application. This webinar is intended to help you apply to any UC campus.
Join UCSB Admissions Counselors to discuss and view the UC Application in a live webinar. See the different sections of the UC application for freshman admission - fall 2025. Explore where we see common mistakes and get ready to work on your own UC application this fall.All nine undergraduate UC campuses share the UC application. This webinar is intended to help you apply to any UC campus.
July10
UC Personal Insight Questions Overview
Virtual
View Event Description
The seven section UC application has a mandatory section called, "Personal Insight Questions" (also known as the PIQs). Join UCSB Admissions Counselors to discuss the freshman UC PIQs. What is expected of students in an answer, how to share your story. (This workshop is not specific to UC Santa Barbara as all nine UC campuses share the UC application.)
The seven section UC application has a mandatory section called, "Personal Insight Questions" (also known as the PIQs). Join UCSB Admissions Counselors to discuss the freshman UC PIQs. What is expected of students in an answer, how to share your story. (This workshop is not specific to UC Santa Barbara as all nine UC campuses share the UC application.)
July16
UC Application for International Students
Virtual
View Event Description
Join UCSB Admissions Counselors to discuss and view the UC Application for international applicants in a live webinar. See the different sections of the UC application for freshman admission - fall 2025. Explore where we see common mistakes and get ready to work on your own UC application this fall.All nine undergraduate UC campuses share the UC application. This webinar is intended to help you apply to any UC campus.
Join UCSB Admissions Counselors to discuss and view the UC Application for international applicants in a live webinar. See the different sections of the UC application for freshman admission - fall 2025. Explore where we see common mistakes and get ready to work on your own UC application this fall.All nine undergraduate UC campuses share the UC application. This webinar is intended to help you apply to any UC campus.
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.
See All University of California - Santa Barbara Rankings
Admissions
Application Deadline
Deadline for application submissions. Please contact the school for more details.
November 30
Acceptance Rate
26%
SAT Range
1230-1460
ACT Range
28-34
Application Fee
$80
SAT/ACT
Neither required nor recommended
High School GPA
Required
Accepts Common App
No
Read More About Admissions
Will You Get Into UCSB?
Test Scores and High School GPA for University of California - Santa Barbara
See Other CollegesYouTube Video
Cost
Net Price
$16,874/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Average Total Aid Awarded
$20,389/ year
National
$7,535
Students Receiving Financial Aid
59%
Find Private Student Loans
Find College Scholarships
Find college scholarships
Academics
Professors
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Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
20:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
76%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.264 responses
38%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.312 responses
55%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.312 responses
Read More About Academics
Majors
Most Popular Majors
Sociology
672 Graduates
Economics
656 Graduates
Communications
582 Graduates
Research and Experimental Psychology
456 Graduates
Biology
384 Graduates
Environmental Science
318 Graduates
Statistics
291 Graduates
Political Science and Government
257 Graduates
Computational and Applied Mathematics
215 Graduates
International Studies
188 Graduates
More
See All Majors
Celebrating Diversity at UCSB
Discover the diversity of UCSB within our cultural and identity programs. UCSB supports students through numerous resource centers which support students on a personal level. Supporting students means they have the mental health and well being to be and explore their academic curiosities. Explore more about events this winter and spring by clicking on the link below.
Online
Programs Offered Entirely Online
Total number of complete undergraduate programs offered online or through distance learning.
Offers Online Courses
College offers distance education courses.
Yes
Online Certificate Programs
Total number of certificate degree programs offered online or through distance education.
Online Associates Programs
Total number of associate degree programs offered online or through distance education.
Online Bachelor's Programs
Total number of bachelor's degree programs offered online or through distance education.
Explore All Online Majors
How Students Learn
Based on class setting of student enrollment.
Mix of Online and on Campus
10%
On Campus
89%
Online
0%
Students
Full-Time Enrollment
22,793Undergrads
Part-Time Undergrads
666
Undergrads Over 25
2%
Pell Grant
26%
Varsity Athletes
2%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on
205 responses
Work hard, party hard
30%
Studious, but can party
18%
Party hard, study harder
15%
Balanced
15%
Everyone's different
9%
Athletic, smart, liberal, good-looking
5%
Extremely chill
4%
More
Read More About the Students
Campus Life
Freshmen Live On-Campus
No data available —
Poll
58%
of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.412 responses
Poll
59%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.454 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on
208 responses
Work hard play hard
50%
Balance work and play
28%
Study hard in the most beautiful environment
7%
Awesome
5%
Many options
2%
"Sleep when you're dead" - School's motto
2%
Undescribable
2%
More
Read More About Campus Life
After College
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$55,300/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
86%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
91%
National
83%
61%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.161 responses
Read More About Life After Graduation
University of California - Santa Barbara Reviews
Rating 3.85 out of 5 4,742 reviews
Rating 5 out of 5
I really love the collaborative culture here at UCSB. Academics are rigorous here but all of my classmates are so supportive of each other. I have study groups for almost all my classes and I really feel my peers are all looking out for each other. We have a lot of group projects and discussions and students are really encouraged to work together.
I also feel very supported by my professors and TAs. All the professors I’ve had were always super helpful and down to earth whenever I go to their office hours and they are really accessible and accommodating because I can feel they truly care about us as students.
In terms of the campus culture, everyone is so bubbly, friendly, supportive, and really passionate about what they do and so they are super active outside of classes as well. This amazing environment encouraged and inspired me enough to step out of my introvert bubble and begin to make more friends and be involved in student orgs that I’m passionate about.
- Sophom*ore
- 21 days ago
Rating 3 out of 5
My experience has been mostly wonderful. I've learnt a lot about myself and have made some incredible connections—both with students and faculty. There are a lot of opportunities to get involved with clubs of varied focuses—I got involved in the swim club, film writing club, arts club, and several others. I do find the academics and living situation not as ideal as the social lifestyle. For example, community living is very difficult, especially when not much Is done to deal with issues raised. I've also had several issues with the dinning hall food in terms of allergies and food restrictions but I have worked around it. Everything is manageable and doesn't take away from my experience. I do wish there was more production or practical opportunities in class rather than having to seek it somewhere else. I guess this is a research university but I do wish this is made clearer before students commit. Overall I love the location and accessible lifestyle.
- Freshman
- a month ago
Rating 4 out of 5
My overall experience at UCSB was formative. I entered as a freshman during Covid-19 in the fall of 2020. It was a difficult year, especially because I was not able to finish my senior year of high school. We began our first quarter online, which was a hard transition. I found the teachers to be a big unforgiving in regards to the pandemic, however I pushed through to keep up the good grades I had in high school. Once we returned back to in-person, I absolutely loved it. The professors were informative and they really seemed to care about their students. One of my favorite parts about UCSB was the research aspect. I worked as a research assistant under three different professors during the last two years of my undergraduate studies. I learned the most valuable information that I will now take with me to graduate school at UCSD.
- Alum
- a month ago
