UC Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California · Public, a midsize suburb · 23,113 undergraduates
Is it hard to get into UCSB?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
- What they look at
- High school GPARequired
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programRequired
- EssayRequired
How much does UCSB cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $9,523 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $10,281 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,181 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,954 |
| Over $110,000 | $36,658 |
- Room and board on campus
- $21,975 a year; $17,723 off campus
- Books and supplies
- $1,484 a year
- The school's own grants
- 44% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $10,142
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do UCSB students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
What do UCSB graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Do UCSB students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Who goes to UCSB?
- Background
- White 32%, Hispanic 27%, Black 2%, Asian 18%, Two or more 10%, International 9%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 11,432 beds
What do UCSB graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 336 | $121,223 | $172,854 | $10,000 |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering | 85 | $82,313 | $114,108 | $13,833 |
| Computer Engineering | 139 | $101,093 | $151,337 | $10,000 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 116 | $87,938 | $144,784 | $12,436 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 169 | $80,791 | $114,088 | $12,583 |
Business and commerce
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Managerial Economics | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 85 | $78,375 | $107,773 | Hidden |
Health sciences and kinesiology
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 153 | $61,491 | $96,328 | $5,765 |
| Biology, General | 772 | $38,556 | $81,134 | $11,516 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 106 | $48,186 | $92,869 | Hidden |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 168 | $38,535 | $58,588 | $12,000 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 80 | $51,399 | $86,328 | $14,607 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 690 | $42,711 | $66,633 | $11,500 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | 119 | $42,364 | $102,973 | $11,000 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 14 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 54 | $30,872 | $52,084 | $11,000 |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | 362 | $62,507 | $101,967 | $11,567 |
| Chemistry | 189 | $56,258 | $85,571 | $14,499 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 102 | $41,816 | $76,188 | $16,500 |
| Mathematics | 232 | $54,285 | $92,300 | $13,000 |
| Physics | 321 | $64,520 | $104,045 | $12,804 |
| Statistics | 730 | $67,908 | $87,748 | $13,800 |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 12 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 20 | Hidden | $57,874 | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 311 | $35,102 | $63,789 | $11,601 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 18 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| History | 330 | $35,364 | $68,195 | $11,833 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 227 | $31,482 | $76,464 | $10,166 |
| Philosophy | 201 | $38,395 | $71,535 | $11,349 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 44 | $46,342 | $60,675 | Hidden |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 116 | $34,041 | $67,198 | $12,291 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | 43 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 64 | $30,366 | $45,843 | $12,734 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 386 | $35,065 | $57,947 | $11,125 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 237 | $33,711 | $55,308 | $10,239 |
| Music | 57 | Hidden | $57,546 | $9,816 |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Science | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| International/Globalization Studies | 280 | $46,238 | $72,706 | $12,399 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Compare UCSB with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with UC Santa Barbara. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences