University

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California, United States

Verified · last verified 2026-09-02

University details

The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public research university in Santa Barbara, California, and a campus of the University of California system. It was founded in 1891, originally as a state teachers college, before becoming a University of California campus. The university offers 200-plus majors, degrees, and credentials across undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.

Institution type: Public
Campus setting: Suburban
Application platforms: Direct application
Testing policy: Test blind (2025–2026)
In-state tuition: $16,414
Out-of-state tuition: $50,614
Cost of attendance: Not available (2024–2025)
Undergraduate enrollment: 23,113

Website Admissions Financial aid

Common Data Set

Institution-reported facts by reporting cycle. Missing and withheld values are shown explicitly.

2025–2026 · most recent available

First-year admission rate

38.2%

Calculated from applications and admissions reported in CDS C1. This is a factual calculation, not a CollegePath rating.

Enrollment

Undergraduate enrollment (B1): 23,091 students
Full-time undergraduate enrollment (B1): 22,651 students
Part-time undergraduate enrollment (B1): 440 students

First-year admission

Majors

Anthropology
Social Sciences
Applied Mathematics
Mathematics and Statistics
Area Studies
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Biology, General
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Business/Managerial Economics
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Chemical Engineering
Engineering
Chemistry
Physical Sciences

Deadlines

Regular decision · 2026–2027
2026-11-30 — Fall first-year application filing deadline for the UC system.
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-first-year/dates-and-deadlines.html

View deadlines from earlier years

2025–2026

Regular decision · 2025–2026
2025-12-01 — UC Application filing period for fall 2026 first-year entry. The application opens August 1; the filing period runs October 1 - December 1, 2025, and the application must be submitted by the December 1 deadline. All UC campuses share a single filing period with no early decision or early action options.
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-first-year/dates-and-deadlines.html

Supplemental essays

How many responses?

No supplemental essays are required for this university.

View supplemental prompts from earlier years

2025–2026

Optional · First-year applicants
Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
Limit: 350 words — One of eight UC Personal Insight Questions; applicants must respond to only 4 of the 8, each response a maximum of 350 words.
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-first-year/personal-insight-questions.html
Optional · First-year applicants

Application requirements

2026–2027

Application fee · Required
Value: $80
First-year UC application fee for U.S. applicants; the fee is paid per campus selected.
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-first-year/
Fee waiver · Optional
Value: Available
The UC application provides a fee waiver for eligible applicants.
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-first-year/
Personal essay · Required
Value: 4 personal insight questions
UC first-year applicants answer four personal insight questions in the application.
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-first-year/

Sources

Direct sources supporting this university’s facts, with retrieval dates.

Official source · supports requirements:2026–2027
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-first-year/
Retrieved 2026-09-02 — Official UC first-year application and personal insight question requirements.
Official source · supports deadlines:2026–2027
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-first-year/dates-and-deadlines.html
Retrieved 2026-09-02 — Official UC system first-year filing dates for all campuses.
Official source · supports admissions_url
https://admissions.sa.ucsb.edu/
Retrieved 2026-07-21
Official source · supports financial_aid_url
https://www.finaid.ucsb.edu/

First-year applications (C1)

First-year students admitted (C1)

42,093 students

First-year students enrolled (C1)

5,081 students

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 4.0 (C11)

87.81%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.75-3.99 (C11)

9.02%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.50-3.74 (C11)

2.58%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.25-3.49 (C11)

0.3%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 3.00-3.24 (C11)

0.22%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 2.50-2.99 (C11)

0.06%

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 2.00-2.49 (C11)

Not reported by institution

High-school GPA distribution · GPA 1.00-1.99 (C11)

Not reported by institution

High-school GPA distribution · GPA below 1.0 (C11)

Not reported by institution

Average high-school GPA (C12)

4.29 GPA

Testing

Enrolled students submitting scores · SAT (C9): Not reported by institution
Enrolled students submitting scores · ACT (C9): Not reported by institution
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing · 25th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing · 75th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution
SAT Math · 25th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution
SAT Math · 75th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution
ACT Composite · 25th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution
ACT Composite · 75th percentile (C9): Not reported by institution

Academics and class size

Student-to-faculty ratio (I2): 18:1

Source: University of California, Santa Barbara Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Retrieved 2026-09-01

Open the official institutional source

Document ID: sha256:1d5c592b942dc743bdbb454ac38e3dacb4ac5fc15b456f77d472e47682252c2b · Import: cds-2026-09-v30

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Communication and Media Studies

Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services

Health Professions and Related Programs

Computer Engineering

Engineering

Computer Science

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services

Dance

Visual and Performing Arts

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

Visual and Performing Arts

East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Economics

Social Sciences

Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering

Engineering

English Language and Literature, General

English Language and Literature/Letters

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies

Film/Video and Photographic Arts

Visual and Performing Arts

Fine and Studio Arts

Visual and Performing Arts

Geography and Cartography

Social Sciences

Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences

Physical Sciences

Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

International/Globalization Studies

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services

Mathematics

Mathematics and Statistics

Mechanical Engineering

Engineering

Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

Microbiological Sciences and Immunology

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

Music

Visual and Performing Arts

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

Natural Resources and Conservation

Non-Professional Legal Studies

Legal Professions and Studies

Pharmacology and Toxicology

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Philosophy

Philosophy and Religious Studies

Physics

Physical Sciences

Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Political Science and Government

Social Sciences

Psychology, General

Psychology

Religion/Religious Studies

Philosophy and Religious Studies

Research and Experimental Psychology

Psychology

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Sociology

Social Sciences

Statistics

Mathematics and Statistics

Zoology/Animal Biology

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Financial aid · 2025–2026

2026-03-02 — Submit the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (and Cal Grant GPA Verification Form for California residents) by March 2.

https://admissions.sa.ucsb.edu/deadlines

Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.