University of California, Santa Barbara

University of California, Santa Barbara is a public, state school located in the suburban setting of Santa Barbara, CA

Founded in 1909, the institution currently enrolls around 26,023 students a year, including 23,196 undergrads. The institution runs on a quarter academic calendar.

As of 2021, the total market value of the school endowment was $434,100,000.

2021 Admissions Facts About UC Santa Barbara

Acceptance rate: 37%

Average GPA: 4.17

Early Decision or Early Action: No/No

2022 Regular Decision Deadline: November 30

2022 Regular Decision Notification Date: March 31

UC Santa Barbara Acceptance Rate

UC Santa Barbara is a very difficult school to get accepted to. UC Santa Barbara accepts around 37 percent of applicants each year.

The average high school GPA for a student at UC Santa Barbara is 4.17 /4.0.

In 2021, 9,885 applicants were waitlisted and 6,103 students were ultimating offered a spot off the waitlist.

Is UC Santa Barbara a good school?

The definition of a "good school" is different for different people. Admissions difficulty and admitted student statistics can give you a sense of how selective a college is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. There are a few statistics that can give you a good idea of how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its students.

Retention, graduation, and job placement statistics all give valuable information about the quality of the student experience, before and after graduation.

Retention and graduation rates

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at UC Santa Barbara, around 91 percent return for their sophomore year. Out of the 4,725 students who started at UC Santa Barbara as first-time freshman, 3,371 graduate within four years.

UC Santa Barbara's six-year graduation for undergrads is 89 percent. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61 percent for public schools and 67 percent for private.

Job outcomes and student debt

Job placement and student debt statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers. Students in the class of 2021 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $19,034 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

Based on this information, how does UC Santa Barbara sound? Remember, the best school for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So the real question to ask yourself: is UC Santa Barbara a good school for YOU?

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UC Santa Barbara's application deadline is November 31. All applicants will receive an admissions decision by March 31.

Read on to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics and majors and more. Or, visit the College Confidential forums to join the conversation about UC Santa Barbara and get personalized recommendations for colleges and universities that offer what you're looking for in a school.