Per the college's Common Data Set, section C7. The Importance the Institution Places on Each of the Following Academic and Nonacademic Factors in Their First-Time, First-Year, Degree-Seeking Admission Decisions.
Admissions Advantages
Yield Protection
Application Rounds
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Application Fee
Accepted Platforms
Required Essays
Interview
Sources
Nationally Ranked Programs
Programs by Median Earnings (1 Year After Graduation)
Notable: “Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning” (2003) · 4,079 citations
Jonathan Schooler, Distinguished Professorh-index 83
Notable: “The restless mind.” (2006) · 2,076 citations
Leda Cosmides, Distinguished Professorh-index 78
Notable: “The logic of social exchange: Has natural selection shaped how humans reason? Studies with the Wason selection task” (1989) · 2,486 citations
Mary Hegarty, Distinguished Professor & Chairh-index 76
Notable: “Development of a self-report measure of environmental spatial ability” (2002) · 1,018 citations
Christopher Costello, Professor of Resource Economicsh-index 58
Notable: “Rebuilding Global Fisheries” (2009) · 2,199 citations
Andrew Plantinga, Professor of Natural Resource Economics and Policyh-index 52
Es on the Economics of Land Use, Climate Change, and Forests. Particular emphasis is given to the development of methods for econometrically modeling land-use decisions, the analysis of environmental policies that affect private land-use de
Notable: “The future of food from the sea” (2020) · 873 citations
Kathy Baylis, Professor of Agricultural/Resource Economicsh-index 42
Notable: “The Effectiveness of Payments for Environmental Services” (2017) · 508 citations
Finn Kydland, Distinguished Professor of Economics, Nobel Laureate (2004)h-index 37
Notable: “Rules Rather than Discretion: The Inconsistency of Optimal Plans” (1977) · 7,862 citations
Notable: “The Use of Ecological Terms in Parasitology (Report of an Ad Hoc Committee of the American Society of Parasitologists)” (1982) · 1,988 citations
Gareth W. Peters, Endowed Chair Professorh-index 37
Notable: “Understanding Modern Banking Ledgers Through Blockchain Technologies: Future of Transaction Processing and Smart Contracts on the Internet of Money” (2015) · 331 citations
Notable: “Does Playing Violent Video Games Induce Aggression? Empirical Evidence of a Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study” (2005) · 259 citations
Dan Lane, Associate Professor & Grad Directorh-index 19
Notable: “Incidental Exposure, Selective Exposure, and Political Information Sharing: Integrating Online Exposure Patterns and Expression on Social Media” (2017) · 324 citations
Casey Randazzo, Assistant Professorh-index 5
Es on Human-AI organizing, examining how interactions between humans and AI agents influence disaster response and recovery. Bio Casey Randazzo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at UC Santa Barbara. Her research i
Notable: ““If Someone Downvoted My Posts—That’d Be the End of the World”: Designing Safer Online Spaces for Trauma Survivors” (2023) · 33 citations
Amy Gonzales, Associate Professor, Associate Director Chicano Studies Institute
Es on two main areas. First, she investigates digital inequalities in computing access and digital literacy, and the consequences of these inequalities for a range of outcomes (e.g. health, education, employment, social support). Second, sh
Faculty counts are directory headcounts; the named list may be a subset. h-index shown only for ORCID-backed or high-confidence OpenAlex matches. Partial — enrichment ongoing.
Greek Life
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Demographics
Athletics
Student Outcomes
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About University of California, Santa Barbara. University of California, Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, CA reports an overall acceptance rate of 33.0%, an early-round acceptance rate of 33.0%, an SAT middle 50% of 1250–1460, a class size of 4,967, and a yield of 14.0% based on the most recent Common Data Set filings. Test-blind UC campus. Top physics and materials science programs. Beachfront campus with strong research output.
Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard.
University of California, Santa Barbara: key admissions facts
University of California, Santa Barbara's overall acceptance rate is 33.0% (the most recent Common Data Set). University of California, Santa Barbara's early-round acceptance rate is 33.0% (the most recent Common Data Set). University of California, Santa Barbara's SAT middle-50% range is 1250–1460 (the most recent Common Data Set). The average unweighted GPA of admitted students at University of California, Santa Barbara is about 3.7 (the most recent Common Data Set). University of California, Santa Barbara's yield rate (the share of admitted students who enroll) is 14.0% (the most recent Common Data Set). The average net price at University of California, Santa Barbara for families earning under $75,000 is about $10,604 per year (U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).
How much does University of California, Santa Barbara cost for a family earning $75,000?
A family earning under $30,000 pays about $9,231 per year in net price at University of California, Santa Barbara, while families earning over $110,000 pay about $31,863 (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data). A family earning $75,000 falls in the $48,001–$75,000 bracket and pays about $12,588 per year after grants and scholarships.
University of California, Santa Barbara: average annual net price by household income (most recent College Scorecard/IPEDS data)
Household income
Average net price per year
Under $30,000
$9,231
$30,001–$48,000
$9,992
$48,001–$75,000
$12,588
$75,001–$110,000
$17,136
Over $110,000
$31,863
Tuition (in-state, before aid)
$14,202
Tuition (out-of-state, before aid)
$53,472
Room and board
$23,974
Frequently asked questions
What is the acceptance rate at University of California, Santa Barbara?
University of California, Santa Barbara's overall acceptance rate is 33.0%, based on the most recent Common Data Set. Its early-round (early decision or early action) acceptance rate is 33.0%.
What SAT score and GPA do you need for University of California, Santa Barbara?
Admitted students at University of California, Santa Barbara typically have an SAT middle-50% range of 1250–1460 and an average unweighted GPA of about 3.7, according to the most recent Common Data Set. These are the middle of the range, so scores above them strengthen an application.
Is it hard to get into University of California, Santa Barbara?
Getting into University of California, Santa Barbara is difficult: it admits 33.0% of applicants. Your realistic odds depend on how your GPA and test scores compare to its middle-50% ranges and on your application round — you can estimate them with the free College Monte Carlo chances calculator.
Does University of California, Santa Barbara offer early decision or early action?
University of California, Santa Barbara offers early action (non-binding). Applying early can help: its early-round acceptance rate is 33.0%, versus 33.0% overall.
How much does University of California, Santa Barbara cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of California, Santa Barbara — the real cost after grants and scholarships, not the sticker price — is about $10,604 per year for families earning under $75,000, based on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data. Higher-income families generally pay more; see the full net-price-by-income breakdown.
How much does University of California, Santa Barbara cost for a family earning $75,000?
A family earning under $30,000 pays about $9,231 per year in net price at University of California, Santa Barbara, while families earning over $110,000 pay about $31,863 (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data). A family earning $75,000 falls in the $48,001–$75,000 bracket and pays about $12,588 per year after grants and scholarships.