Santa Barbara, California · ★ 3.7 / 5 Overall (3 Student Reviews)
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Public · 4-year · Doctoral
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Tracing its roots back to 1891 as an independent teachers college, UC Santa Barbara joined the University of California system in 1944. It is the third-oldest campus in the system, after Berkeley, and UCLA. UCSB's campus sits on the oceanfront site of a converted WWII-era Marine Corps air station. UCSB is organized into three undergraduate colleges (Letters and Science, Engineering, and Creative Studies) and two graduate schools (Education and Environment), offering more than 200 degrees and programs. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is regarded as a Public Ivy. The university has 12 national research centers and institutes, including the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and NSF Quantum Foundry. According to the National Science Foundation, UC Santa Barbara spent $305.48 million on research and development in fiscal year 2023, ranking it 105th in the nation. UCSB was the No. 3 host on the ARPAnet and was elected to the Association of American Universities in 1995. UCSB alumni, faculty, and researchers have included 11 Nobel Prize laureates, founders of more than 90 companies, 1 Fields Medalist, 50 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 34 members of the National Academy of Engineering, and 56 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The faculty also includes two Academy and Emmy Award winners and recipients of a Millennium Technology Prize, an IEEE Medal of Honor, a National Medal of Technology and Innovation, a Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, and a Dan David Prize.
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5221 Cheadle Hall, Santa Barbara, California, 93106
Visit University SiteRanked #51 in the US by CWUR (2026). Source: CWUR US ↗
World rank
Ranked #72 globally in Times Higher Education (2026). Source: THE World ↗
World rank
Ranked #114 globally by CWUR (2026). Source: CWUR World ↗
Total: 26,068
Undergrad: 23,232
Undergrad full-time: 22,659
Graduate: 2,836
Part-time: 793
In-state
Tuition: $14,965
Total cost on campus: $40,587
Out-of-state
Tuition: $45,742
Total cost on campus: $71,364
Room & board: $18,684
Books & supplies: $1,482
Receive aid: 58%
Avg grant aid: $21,732
Pell grant recipients: 28%
Rent: $1,846 / mo
Average city asking rent, as a roommate share. Zillow Observed Rent Index.
Coffee: $6.50
State average cafe price. Numbeo, 2024.
Gas: $6.37 / gal
State average price. AAA.