National university
#25 Best value colleges in AmericaUniversity of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $16,109 a year
Median debt at graduation: $13,993 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best value colleges in America#25 of 674
- Best colleges for business in America#62 of 1,563
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#57 of 1,238
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#39 of 684
- Best colleges in America#107 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#91 of 1,418
Show 23 more
- Best test-optional colleges in America#97 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#93 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#93 of 1,283
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#52 of 681
- Best colleges for history in America#96 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#93 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#96 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#96 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#96 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#92 of 1,063
- Best colleges for computer science in America#66 of 750
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#164 of 1,829
- Best colleges for engineering in America#71 of 749
- Best large colleges in America#25 of 256
- Best value colleges in the West in America#11 of 103
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#66 of 598
- Best colleges for economics in America#95 of 788
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#86 of 690
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#53 of 367
- Most selective colleges in America#104 of 683
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#109 of 682
- Best colleges under $20,000 a year in America#33 of 197
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#119 of 693
In California
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in California#8 of 61
- Best colleges in California#17 of 128
- Best value colleges in California#8 of 59
- Best value colleges in the West in California#8 of 59
- Best colleges for business in California#13 of 88
- Best test-optional colleges in California#16 of 100
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- Best colleges for psychology in California#13 of 74
- Best colleges for art and design in California#14 of 75
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in California#24 of 128
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in California#12 of 62
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in California#12 of 61
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in California#14 of 70
- Best colleges for music in California#14 of 70
- Best colleges for English in California#14 of 68
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in California#13 of 63
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in California#15 of 69
- Best colleges for history in California#15 of 68
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in California#12 of 54
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in California#15 of 67
- Best colleges for mathematics in California#15 of 65
- Best colleges for chemistry in California#15 of 63
- Best large colleges in California#7 of 29
- Most selective colleges in California#14 of 57
- Best colleges for computer science in California#14 of 54
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.83%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.93%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.17 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$17,118
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $41,573 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 23,232 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 42% · Women 58% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 42% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 10% |
| Total students | 26,068 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $16,109 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $41,573 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $13,993 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 83% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 64% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 64% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 75% |
| First-year retention | 93% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $74,915 |
| Admission rate | 33% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $80 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 28% |
Value: Exceptional · Top 3% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Applied mathematics | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | |
| Economics | |
| Management science | |
| Statistics | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | |
| Mathematics | |
| Physics | |
| Chemistry | |
| Communication studies | |
| Philosophy | |
| Political science | |
| Romance languages | |
| Geography | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Experimental psychology | |
| Global studies | |
| Biology | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Linguistics | |
| Sociology | |
| History | |
| English | |
| Area studies | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| Anthropology | |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology | |
| Film and video | |
| Fine arts | |
| Dance | |
| Theatre | |
| Religious studies | |
| Music |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Classics, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, German, Interdisciplinary studies, Liberal arts, Managerial economics, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Physiology and pathology, Pre-law and legal studies, Psychology, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Speech-language pathology.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Psychology | |
| Mathematics and statistics | |
| Communication |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 2% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 2% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $20,279 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big West Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 17 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 90%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $14,736IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 49% of studentsBeds ÷ undergraduates; not how many live on campus |
| Nearest major airport | Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR)About 86 miles away |
| Closer regional airport | Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA)About 1 mile away |
| Town population | 87,779Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BakersfieldAbout 79 miles away |
| Typical weather | 53°F in January · 66°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, CA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 1.42 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.15 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.65 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 2.10 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 2.49 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is University of California-Santa Barbara’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 7% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does University of California-Santa Barbara cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $16,109 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into University of California-Santa Barbara?
- University of California-Santa Barbara admitted 33% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do University of California-Santa Barbara’s graduates do?
- 83% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $74,915; the median federal debt at graduation is $13,993.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 110705
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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