UCLA vs. UCSB

Should I go to University of California Los Angeles or University of California Santa Barbara? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCLA or UCSB is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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University of California Los Angeles vs. University of California Santa Barbara comparison
University of California Los Angeles University of California Santa Barbara College 3 College 4
University of California Los Angeles University of California Santa Barbara
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Overview

UCLA UCSB
Location Los Angeles, CA Santa Barbara, CA
Setting Large City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 46,430 26,420
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #58 #109
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucla.edu ucsb.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCLA UCSB
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,231 $16,883
Avg Net Price $16,999 $16,874
Avg Grant Aid $21,766 $20,389
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 53%

Admission

UCLA UCSB
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 149,801 110,995
Admitted 12,845 28,688
Acceptance Rate 8.6% 25.8%
Enrolled % 50.3% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme High
ACT Range 29/35 28/34
SAT Range 1300/1530 1230/1460
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

UCLA UCSB
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

UCLA UCSB
Graduation Rate 90% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,700 $59,000
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,300 $16,451
Median Loan Payment $168 $170

Diversity

UCLA UCSB
% Men 43% 45%
% Women 57% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 35%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 21% 26%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 8%
% International 13% 7%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

UCLA UCSB
% In-State 77% 78%
% Out-of-State 15% 10%

Campus

UCLA UCSB
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Los Angeles is larger than than UCSB based on total student enrollment (46,430 students vs. 26,420 students)

UCLA vs. UCSB Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCLA or UCSB?

  • University of California Los Angeles and UCSB cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UCLA as University of California Santa Barbara ($41,636.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Barbara than UCLA ($16,874 vs. $16,999)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Barbara are 2.1% lower than costs at University of California Los Angeles ($16,883 vs. $17,231)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Barbara than University of California Los Angeles (53% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 6.8% larger than aid received University of California Santa Barbara ($21,766 vs. $20,389)

UCLA vs. UCSB Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCLA or UCSB? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UCSB or UCLA .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 91 points higher than at UCSB (1248)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UCSB (29)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at UCSB (3.82)
  • UCSB has a higher acceptance rate (25.8%) than UCLA (8.6%)

UCLA vs. UCSB Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCLA or UCSB? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UCSB and UCLA.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than University of California Santa Barbara (90% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $11,700 more per year than UCSB graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $59,000)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $151 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSB graduates. ($16,300 vs. $16,451)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than UCSB graduates. ($168 vs. $170)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSB students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 73%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/