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Add up to three schools and toggle the stats you care about. All data comes from each school's official Common Data Set.

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UC Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

UC Info CenterIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from UC Info Center (Fall 2025).
38.2%acceptance rate
Applied
110,187
Admitted
42,093
Enrolled
5,081

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
California resident32.1%
23,972 admitted of 74,659 applicants
Domestic non-resident54.8%
9,237 admitted of 16,870 applicants
International47.7%
8,885 admitted of 18,644 applicants

Early admissions

UC Santa Barbara does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Not offered
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

UC Santa Barbara is test-free — SAT and ACT scores are not considered in admissions.

SAT / ACT scores are not used

UC Santa Barbara does not review SAT or ACT scores for admission, even if you submit them. Applicants are evaluated on GPA, coursework, essays, and activities instead.

Admissions factors

How UC Santa Barbara weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from UC Santa Barbara's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$46,682
In-State
$85,952
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$17,643$56,913
Room & Board
$23,974$23,974
Other Expenses
$5,065$5,065
Total
$46,682$85,952

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$9k
$30–48k~$10k
$48–75k~$13k
$75–110k~$17k
$110k+~$32k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants27.9%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
44%
Avg. Package
$35,891
Avg. Need Met
82%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Social Sciences
Sciences & Math
Psychology
Communication
Engineering & Computing
Other
Social Sci
27%
Sci & Math
23%
Psychology
11%
Comm
9%
Eng & CS
7%
Other
23%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

18:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return93%
Graduate within six years84%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$70k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$14k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

UC Santa Barbara’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Economics

    667 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$98kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$13k median debt
  • Communication & Media Studies

    597 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$73kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$13k median debt
  • Biology

    377 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$65kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Environmental Science & Natural Resources

    331 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$64kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$16k median debt
  • Political Science

    285 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$70kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
Show all 22 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
94%
In Fraternities
N/A
In Sororities
N/A

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Midsize suburb
Location
Santa Barbara, CA

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
6441J
6444F
6646M
6848A
6951M
7055J
7358J
7558A
7456S
7351O
6944N
6440D
Precipitation a year
17 in
Days at 90°F or above
3
Days below 32°F
6

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, SANTA BARBARA MUNI AP, CA US station, 0.7 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

42%
58%
Male
9,647
Female
13,227

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White31.3%
Hispanic28.7%
Other19.2%
Asian and Pacific Islander19%
Black1.6%
Native American<1%
UC Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

UC Info CenterIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from UC Info Center (Fall 2025).
72.7%acceptance rate
Applied
66,374
Admitted
48,274
Enrolled
4,596

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
California resident71.0%
37,344 admitted of 52,605 applicants
Domestic non-resident84.0%
5,968 admitted of 7,102 applicants
International71.9%
4,809 admitted of 6,686 applicants

Early admissions

UC Santa Cruz does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Not offered
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

UC Santa Cruz is test-free — SAT and ACT scores are not considered in admissions.

SAT / ACT scores are not used

UC Santa Cruz does not review SAT or ACT scores for admission, even if you submit them. Applicants are evaluated on GPA, coursework, essays, and activities instead.

Admissions factors

How UC Santa Cruz weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from UC Santa Cruz's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

2024–25 CDSUC Santa Cruz's 2025-2026 Common Data Set hasn't published this section yet, so this figure is shown from the 2024-2025 edition instead.
$42,159
In-State
$79,761
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$16,503$54,105
Room & Board
$20,929$20,929
Other Expenses
$4,727$4,727
Total
$42,159$79,761

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$9k
$30–48k~$11k
$48–75k~$14k
$75–110k~$19k
$110k+~$33k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants31.6%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

2024–25 CDSUC Santa Cruz's 2025-2026 Common Data Set hasn't published this section yet, so this figure is shown from the 2024-2025 edition instead.
Receiving Aid
49%
Avg. Package
$31,542
Avg. Need Met
86%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Sciences
Social Sciences
Computing
Interdisciplinary
Arts & Humanities
Other
Sciences
23%
Social Sci
17%
Computing
17%
Interdisc.
15%
Arts & Hum
14%
Other
14%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

22:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return90%
Graduate within six years74%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$67k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$17k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

UC Santa Cruz’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Computer Science

    653 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$123kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$16k median debt
  • Psychology

    448 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$60kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Biology

    217 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$65kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Linguistics & Language Studies

    170 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$50kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt
  • Environmental Science & Natural Resources

    159 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$55kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$18k median debt
Show all 22 programs
  • Computer EngineeringNot ABET-accredited

    154 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$125kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$23k median debt
  • Economics

    130 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$76kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$18k median debt
  • Fine & Studio Arts

    130 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$40kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
  • Political Science

    121 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$66kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt
  • History

    93 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$61kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$18k median debt
  • Mathematics

    55 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$59kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Earth & Geological Sciences

    52 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$64kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Electrical EngineeringABET accreditedElectrical Engineering is accredited by ABET, the accreditor for engineering, computing, and applied science programs.

    49 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$118kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt
  • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

    43 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$88kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Philosophy

    39 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$51kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Chemistry

    38 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$71kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Physics

    37 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$38kmedian pay, 1 yr after graduation~$16k median debt
  • Neuroscience

    35 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$69kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Public Health

    19 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Music

    10 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation
  • Biomedical EngineeringNot ABET-accredited

    4 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$99kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$23k median debt
  • Area Studies

    1 degrees (2023-24)

    Not publishedmedian pay after graduation

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
98%
In Fraternities
3%
In Sororities
6%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Small city
Location
Santa Cruz, CA

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
6341J
6443F
6744M
6946A
7149M
7452J
7454J
7655A
7753S
7450O
6744N
6241D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
31 in
Days at 90°F or above
6
Days below 32°F
6

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, SANTA CRUZ, CA US station, 3.3 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

47%
53%
Male
8,641
Female
9,553

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White30%
Hispanic29.3%
Asian and Pacific Islander23.9%
Other14.8%
Black2%
Native American<1%