UCSB acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
University of California-Santa Barbara · Public · Santa Barbara, CA · 23,232 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
UCSB admitted 27.8% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 44.4% in 2013. California residents pay $16,989 in tuition and fees for 2025-26; out-of-state students pay $54,591.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 44.4% | 55,258 | 24,556 |
| 2014 | 36.3% | 66,813 | 24,283 |
| 2015 | 32.6% | 70,536 | 23,026 |
| 2016 | 35.8% | 77,112 | 27,581 |
| 2017 | 32.8% | 81,824 | 26,846 |
| 2018 | 32.2% | 92,306 | 29,726 |
| 2019 | 29.6% | 93,446 | 27,626 |
| 2020 | 36.7% | 90,961 | 33,384 |
| 2021 | 29.2% | 105,641 | 30,824 |
| 2022 | 25.8% | 110,995 | 28,688 |
| 2023 | 27.8% | 110,871 | 30,804 |
Applications went from 55,258 in fall 2013 to 110,871 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $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 |
| Tuition and fees, in-state (2025-26) | $16,989 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state (2025-26) | $54,591 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $44,833 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $16,807 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid paying the in-state rate, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Similar public colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly SLO CA | 29.8% | $15,039 in-state |
| UC Irvine CA | 25.6% | $16,235 in-state |
| UCSD CA | 24.5% | $17,337 in-state |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
UC Santa Barbara drew 110,871 applications for fall 2023 and admitted 27.8% of them.1 The 2013 rate was 44.4%, so the overall change is a decrease of 16.6 percentage points.1 Year to year, the rate went down 7 times out of 10 between 2013 and 2023.1 Applications grew 101% from 55,258 to 110,871, and admitted students grew 25%.1
The school is test-blind, meaning SAT and ACT results are not considered and no score range is reported.1
California residents are charged $16,989 in tuition and fees for 2025-26, and nonresidents $54,591.2 Resident tuition is higher than the $8,846 median across the 33 public bachelor's colleges in the state.2 Net price after grants for 2024-25 averaged $9,523 for the lowest income band of $0 to $30,000, $14,181 for $48,001 to $75,000, and $36,658 above $110,000.2
Graduation within 6 years was 84% for the 2019 entering group, and 93% of fall 2023 entrants returned the next fall.2 Median earnings 10 years after entry were $82,568, compared with $70,012 across 129 California bachelor's colleges.2 Students who borrowed federally had a median debt of $11,776, and 32% of undergraduates received Pell grants.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 110,871 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 30,804 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 5,043 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 23,232 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-blind | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $16,989 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $54,591 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_OUT, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $44,833 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $16,807 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $9,523 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $10,281 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,181 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,954 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $36,658 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 84% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 93% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 32% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $82,568 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $11,776 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median in-state tuition and fees, public colleges, California (N = 33) | $8,846 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, public bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry, California (N = 129) | $70,012 | College Scorecard, median MD_EARN_WNE_P10, bachelor's institutions, 2022-232 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with UCSB, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page