College profile
University of California-Santa Barbara
CA · Public · Mid-size suburb · 110,871 applicants 2023
A parent's read
- The major moves the money more than the admit letter. Computer Science grads from here earn about $149,190 four years out; music grads about $33,825 — a 4.4× spread on the same diploma. Have the major conversation before you deposit, not after.
- The payoff holds even at full price: roughly 5× over a decade. With no aid at all — the full in-state ~$41,573/yr — a decade of median earnings (~$74,915/yr) still runs about 5× the four-year cost. This payoff doesn't depend on qualifying for anything. (Out-of-state costs more.)
- The campus itself adds earnings power. Opportunity Insights tracks it: only about 6% of students arrive from the bottom income fifth, but those who do reach the top fifth by their 30s at a 50% rate — a strong sign the outcomes here are the campus, not just the intake.
Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.
Parent/student verdict
Moderately selectiveSolid match for academically prepared students. Affordable — net price averages ~$16,109/yr among aid recipients.
Best for
- Students focused on Social Sciences (the school's signature program)
- Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)
The reality
- Out-of-state tuition is 3.1× the in-state rate
Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price with aid and at full price, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.
What are your child's odds here?
Enter their numbers once — this and every college page shows their verdict, and the UC campus cards on California school pages light up with it too. Free, no email.
Weighted is the higher GPA, with honors/AP credit in it — pick whichever your school reports. PSAT scores work in the SAT box.
Institutional snapshot
What kind of college is this?
Source: admit rate is UC's Fall 2026 preliminary release (see banner above); federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.
High-school GPA
4.29 avg weighted GPA, enrolled first-years
| Enrolled first-years | 4.29 weighted |
Enrolled first-years by GPA band: 4.00 87.81% · 3.75-3.99 9.02% · 3.50-3.74 2.58% · 3.25-3.49 0.3% · 3.00-3.24 0.22% · 2.50-2.99 0.06%
weighted (school-reported, can exceed 4.0). UC Santa Barbara Common Data Set 2025-2026, Section C11/C12 (enrolled first-years); UC Admissions official first-year admit data page (admitted, Fall 2025) ↗
As published by the college in its Common Data Set / admissions data (2025-26) (source linked above). GPA basis (weighted vs. unweighted vs. 4.0-scale) varies by college and is labeled above.
Fall 2026 — just released by UC (preliminary)
108,512 applied · 47,716 admitted · 44.0% admit rate · admitted GPA middle 50%The middle half landed in this range — a quarter are below the low end and a quarter above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.: 4.05–4.27 · 53.0% of admits are California residents. First-year offers as of June 2026, per UC's own release ↗ — fresher than the federal figures below. Full analysis: UC's Fall 2026 numbers →
Admit rate by discipline — Fall 2025
The headline admit rate hides a wide spread by program.
University of California-Santa Barbara's own systemwide data, by broad discipline. Campus overall: 38%. UC admits to the campus, not the major, at most programs — but the spread below is the real selectivity of each applicant pool, and capped programs (computer science, engineering, nursing) do gate by major.
| Discipline | Applicants | Admitted | Admit rate Fall 2025 |
Admit GPA (mid-50%)The middle half landed in this range — a quarter are below the low end and a quarter above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 12,679 | 2,694 | 21% | 4.21–4.30 |
| Other/Interdisciplinary | 5,201 | 1,553 | 30% | 4.04–4.27 |
| Computer Science | 5,865 | 1,989 | 34% | 4.19–4.29 |
| Arts & Humanities | 10,271 | 3,619 | 35% | 4.03–4.26 |
| Social Sciences | 33,738 | 12,720 | 38% | 4.07–4.28 |
| Business | 383 | 162 | 42% | 4.11–4.29 |
| Life Sciences | 21,225 | 8,909 | 42% | 4.11–4.29 |
| Physical Sciences/Math | 13,760 | 7,558 | 55% | 4.11–4.28 |
By specific major — Fall 2025
| Major | Applicants | Admitted | Admit rate Fall 2025 |
Admit GPA (mid-50%)The middle half landed in this range — a quarter are below the low end and a quarter above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection. | Earlier year for comparison |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological Sciences Life Sciences | 18,477 | 7,703 | 42% | 4.12–4.29 | Fall 2021: 35% ↑ |
| Chemical Engineering Engineering | 8,056 | 1,277 | 16% | 4.23–4.32 | Fall 2021: 19% ↓ |
| Economics Social Sciences | 7,758 | 3,020 | 39% | 4.05–4.28 | Fall 2021: 28% ↑ |
| Undeclared Undeclared | 7,051 | 2,890 | 41% | 4.00–4.26 | Fall 2021: 30% ↑ |
| Computer Science Computer Science | 5,793 | 1,972 | 34% | 4.19–4.29 | Fall 2021: 15% ↑ |
| Economics And Accounting Social Sciences | 4,819 | 1,665 | 35% | 4.08–4.28 | Fall 2021: 27% ↑ |
| Political Science Social Sciences | 4,448 | 1,779 | 40% | 4.09–4.28 | Fall 2021: 34% ↑ |
| Chemistry Physical Sciences/Math | 4,311 | 2,220 | 51% | 4.11–4.29 | Fall 2021: 41% ↑ |
| Sociology Social Sciences | 3,602 | 1,199 | 33% | 4.02–4.25 | Fall 2021: 25% ↑ |
| Environmental Studies Life Sciences | 2,634 | 1,181 | 45% | 4.09–4.28 | Fall 2021: 33% ↑ |
| Electrical Engineering Engineering | 2,617 | 721 | 28% | 4.20–4.30 | Fall 2021: 31% ↓ |
| Physics Physical Sciences/Math | 2,326 | 1,517 | 65% | 4.08–4.28 | Fall 2021: 45% ↑ |
| Physics, Applied Physical Sciences/Math | 2,326 | 1,517 | 65% | 4.08–4.28 | Fall 2021: 45% ↑ |
| Physics, General Physical Sciences/Math | 2,326 | 1,517 | 65% | 4.08–4.28 | Fall 2021: 45% ↑ |
| Physics, General - Secondary Education Physical Sciences/Math | 2,326 | 1,517 | 65% | 4.08–4.28 | Fall 2021: 45% ↑ |
| Statistics And Data Science Physical Sciences/Math | 2,296 | 1,240 | 54% | 4.12–4.28 | Fall 2021: 45% ↑ |
| Biopsychology Social Sciences | 2,018 | 924 | 46% | 4.15–4.29 | Fall 2021: 42% ↑ |
| Computer Engineering Engineering | 2,006 | 696 | 35% | 4.17–4.29 | Fall 2021: 20% ↑ |
| Applied Mathematics Physical Sciences/Math | 1,467 | 939 | 64% | 4.12–4.28 | Fall 2021: 49% ↑ |
| Mathematics Physical Sciences/Math | 1,323 | 725 | 55% | 4.05–4.26 | Fall 2021: 42% ↑ |
| Mathematics, Applied Physical Sciences/Math | 1,323 | 725 | 55% | 4.05–4.26 | Fall 2021: 42% ↑ |
| Mathematics, Applied (Pre) Physical Sciences/Math | 1,323 | 725 | 55% | 4.05–4.26 | Fall 2021: 42% ↑ |
| Mathematics, Financial Actuarial (Pre) Physical Sciences/Math | 1,323 | 725 | 55% | 4.05–4.26 | Fall 2021: 42% ↑ |
| English Arts & Humanities | 1,267 | 521 | 41% | 4.07–4.29 | Fall 2021: 33% ↑ |
| Anthropology Social Sciences | 1,225 | 435 | 36% | 4.07–4.27 | Fall 2021: 26% ↑ |
| History Arts & Humanities | 1,154 | 468 | 41% | 4.07–4.27 | Fall 2021: 32% ↑ |
| Global Studies Other/Interdisciplinary | 949 | 392 | 41% | 4.07–4.28 | Fall 2021: 37% ↑ |
| Art History Arts & Humanities | 917 | 400 | 44% | 4.04–4.26 | Fall 2021: 30% ↑ |
| Earth Science Physical Sciences/Math | 777 | 336 | 43% | 4.12–4.28 | — |
| Art Arts & Humanities | 721 | 86 | 12% | 3.85–4.14 | Fall 2021: 6% ↑ |
| Philosophy Arts & Humanities | 694 | 311 | 45% | 4.06–4.26 | Fall 2021: 30% ↑ |
| Linguistics Social Sciences | 683 | 275 | 40% | 4.09–4.28 | Fall 2021: 34% ↑ |
| Linguistics, Applied Social Sciences | 683 | 275 | 40% | 4.09–4.28 | Fall 2021: 34% ↑ |
| Theater Arts & Humanities | 583 | 169 | 29% | 4.00–4.25 | Fall 2021: 20% ↑ |
| History Of Public Policy And Law Arts & Humanities | 578 | 243 | 42% | 4.07–4.26 | Fall 2021: 28% ↑ |
| Music Arts & Humanities | 400 | 135 | 34% | 3.92–4.22 | Fall 2021: 35% |
| Actuarial Science Business | 383 | 162 | 42% | 4.11–4.29 | Fall 2021: 37% ↑ |
| Dance Arts & Humanities | 256 | 82 | 32% | 3.77–4.24 | Fall 2021: 42% ↓ |
| Marine Science Other/Interdisciplinary | 196 | 26 | 13% | 4.08–4.25 | Fall 2023: 14% |
| Geography Social Sciences | 170 | 67 | 39% | 4.04–4.29 | Fall 2021: 23% ↑ |
| Geography, Physical Social Sciences | 170 | 67 | 39% | 4.04–4.29 | Fall 2021: 23% ↑ |
| Comparative Literature Arts & Humanities | 159 | 68 | 43% | 4.11–4.28 | Fall 2021: 37% ↑ |
| Spanish Arts & Humanities | 139 | 44 | 32% | 3.95–4.27 | Fall 2022: 23% ↑ |
| Chicano Studies Social Sciences | 126 | 30 | 24% | 4.00–4.20 | Fall 2021: 21% ↑ |
| Biology Life Sciences | 114 | 25 | 22% | 4.23–4.30 | Fall 2021: 32% ↓ |
| Biology, General Life Sciences | 114 | 25 | 22% | 4.23–4.30 | Fall 2021: 32% ↓ |
Majors are shown as UC's systemwide data reports them; programs too small to clear UC's reporting floor don't appear. Admit rates by major reflect who applies as much as who gets in — at most UC programs, students are admitted to the campus, not the major.
Source: University of California Information Center ↗, first-year applicants by broad discipline (data back to Fall 2012). GPA is UC's capped weighted GPAUC's own GPA recalculation: extra points for honors/AP/IB classes, but capped at 8 semesters of bonus. That cap is why UC admitted-GPA bands cluster between 4.0 and 4.3 — a 4.28 here is a stronger number than it looks next to an uncapped 4.6 from a high school transcript.. UC's own guidance: use this as a general guide to selectivity, not a predictor of any one student's chances. Small programs are suppressed by UC.
Outcomes & cost
What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.
Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).
The real cost
What University of California-Santa Barbara actually costs
Which side your family lands on isn't set by any national income line — it's set by University of California-Santa Barbara's own aid decision: the gap between its price and your family's finances.
University of California-Santa Barbara's own published aid policy · 2026-27
Who qualifies: CA residents; UC Blue and Gold, systemwide tuition only.
Most California families that earn up to $100,000 receive enough grant and scholarship funds to cover their UC tuition.
Income thresholds assume typical assets. Policy independently verified against the college's financial-aid pages ↗.
Your odds + estimated cost across your whole college list, side by side.
The payoffTen years of typical graduate pay minus four years of cost — how many dollars ahead a typical graduate runs by year ten. Check both the full-price and with-aid versions to see which applies to you; median pay reflects who a college admits and what they study as much as the college itself., both ways
+$583K ahead at full price +$685K with aidSource: College Scorecard (average net price among Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates who received aid) and each college's published cost of attendance. We don't show the federal net-price-by-income brackets: their categories were fixed in 2008 and never adjusted, and none of the averages is your family's own number — the full story. Payoff = (10-yr median earnings × 10) − (4 years of cost), in dollars — how far ahead a typical graduate runs by year ten; medians travel with the students a college admits and the majors they choose as much as with the college itself. Full price is the published cost of attendance, largely in-state for publics; earnings are 10 years after enrollment, all majors combined.
What students study here
Most popular majors at University of California-Santa Barbara
Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University of California-Santa Barbara actually graduates — not just what it markets.
What those majors earn here
Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major — University of California-Santa Barbara's own graduates, not national averages.
| Major (CIP) | 4-yr earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer Science. | $149,190 |
| Computer Engineering. | $144,703 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. | $117,215 |
| Chemical Engineering. | $113,317 |
| Applied Mathematics. | $109,360 |
| Mechanical Engineering. | $104,336 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology. | $98,462 |
| Economics. | $98,178 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. | $96,078 |
| Statistics. | $90,778 |
Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only) · College Scorecard program-level outcomes (PP-FOS). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →
Student body & economic mobility
Who attends here — and what the campus adds.
Opportunity Insights data. It measures two things at once: how many lower-income students a college enrols, and how many of them reach the top earnings quintile later. A high rate says the college does both — it does not establish that the campus caused the earnings, because the students it admits differ from the students it doesn't. Read it as a signal about access and destination, not as proof of value added.
Full leaderboards: /college-mobility →
AI program signal
AI + computing education at University of California-Santa Barbara
Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →
Alternatives to University of California-Santa Barbara
Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.
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Feeder high schools
Which high schools send graduates to University of California-Santa Barbara?
Enrolled — from the schools' matriculation lists
81 high schools publish a numbered matriculation list — where their graduates actually enrolled, counted, in the school's own School Profile — and name University of California-Santa Barbara on it. Between them they printed 245 enrolled graduates. Ranked by graduates per class year enrolling at University of California-Santa Barbara, from each school's own published list: the number that school printed, divided by the class years its list covers. The published total and the school's own years label are shown beside every school, so a one-year list and a five-year list can sit on the same page. A list whose class years we cannot read is not divided by a guess — it is listed below with its total instead.
and 69 more
Published, but not ranked — these schools name University of California-Santa Barbara on a list of where their graduates enrolled whose class years we cannot read ("Since 2023", or no class year printed), so their totals are shown rather than divided: Pierrepont School (2, not stated); The Lovett School (1, List as of 5/1/2026 (no class year printed on the list itself; page 2 header reads "College Acceptance and Matriculation" and links this file as the "Class of 2026 matriculation list")).
Admitted — from the schools' acceptance lists
10 high schools publish a numbered list of college acceptances — where their graduates were admitted, not where they enrolled — and name University of California-Santa Barbara on it. Between them they printed 93 admissions. Ranked by admissions per class year to University of California-Santa Barbara, from each school's own published acceptances list: the number that school printed, divided by the class years its list covers. Admits are counted at each college a student was admitted to, the same way the UC Reach Score counts a student admitted to three UC campuses three times — so this is a count of admissions, not of students. The published total and the school's own years label are shown beside every school, and a list whose class years we cannot read is listed below with its total rather than divided by a guess.
All 90 feeder schools, ranked →
Counted from each school's own published document, linked on that school's page. A high school that is not here does not publish a numbered list we could read — that is all absence means, and it says nothing about its graduates. Where a school publishes both, the two lists are shown separately: an acceptances list is not a list of enrollments, and the two are never added together.
Related reading
UC admissions · August 14, 2026
UC admissions · August 7, 2026
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At a glance
JSON · Using this page with an AI assistantUniversity of California-Santa Barbara is a public four-year college in CA. It admitted 44% of applicants (110,871 applied, 2023). Test policy: Test-blind.
Average enrolled GPA 4.29 (weighted, 2025-26, as published by the college).
Cost: about $16,109 a year on average with aid, $41,573 a year at full price for in-state students.
Median earnings ten years after entry: $74,915 a year. Payoff, meaning ten years of that pay minus four years of cost: $684,714 ahead with aid, $582,858 ahead at full price.
Highest median earnings four years after the degree, by program: Computer Science ($149,190); Computer Engineering ($144,703); Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($117,215).
Admit rate by major, Fall 2025 (the UC admits to the campus, not the major, at most programs, so read these as a guide to selectivity): lowest Art 12% (721 applied); highest Physics 65% (2,326 applied).
Economic mobility (Opportunity Insights): 6% of students came from families in the bottom fifth of income, and 50% of those reached the top fifth as adults.
Aid pledge published by the college for 2026-27: families earning under $100,000 pay no tuition (CA residents; UC Blue and Gold, systemwide tuition only).
High schools that publish a numbered matriculation list and name University of California-Santa Barbara: 81, 245 enrolled students between them — ranked by graduates per class year, most often Orange County School of the Arts (7.0 per class year, 7 over 1 class year, Class of 2026); Loyola High School (4.8 per class year, 24 over 5 class years, 2020-24); Sage Hill School (4.0 per class year, 12 over 3 class years, 2023-2025). Each figure is the number that school printed divided by the class years its own list covers; the totals and years are shown. These are the schools that publish such a list, not every school that sends students; full list: https://highschoolreach.com/leaderboards/feeder-schools/university-of-california-santa-barbara.
High schools that publish a numbered list of college acceptances naming University of California-Santa Barbara: 10, 93 admissions between them — ranked by admissions per class year, most often Archbishop Mitty High School (56.0 per class year, 56 over 1 class year, Class of 2025); Lycée Français de San Francisco (4.7 per class year, 14 over 3 class years, Classes 2022, 2023, 2024); National Cathedral School (2.0 per class year, 6 over 3 class years, 2023-2025). Admits are counted at each college, so this counts admissions, not students. These are a different set of documents from the matriculation lists above and the two are never added together; full list: https://highschoolreach.com/leaderboards/feeder-schools/university-of-california-santa-barbara.
Machine-readable version of this page: https://highschoolreach.com/colleges/university-of-california-santa-barbara.json