UCSB vs. Hunter

Should I go to University of California Santa Barbara or CUNY Hunter College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSB or Hunter 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 Santa Barbara vs. CUNY Hunter College comparison
University of California Santa Barbara CUNY Hunter College College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Barbara CUNY Hunter College
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Overview

 UCSB Hunter
Location Santa Barbara, CA New York, NY
Setting Midsize Suburban Large City
Enrollment 26,068 22,879
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #112 #283
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu cuny.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSB Hunter
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $6,930
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $14,880
Room & Board $18,684 $11,324
Avg Net Price $15,283 $4,127
Avg Grant Aid $21,732 $9,624
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 88%

Admission

 UCSB Hunter
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,871 31,614
Admitted 30,804 17,087
Acceptance Rate 27.8% 54%
Enrolled % 16.4% 18.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.7
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 28/34
SAT Range 1230/1460 1210/1470
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025

Academics

 UCSB Hunter
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Psychology (16%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)

Outcomes

 UCSB Hunter
Graduation Rate 80% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $48,800
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $11,548
Median Loan Payment $170 $119

Diversity

 UCSB Hunter
% Men 6% 6%
% Women 5% 18%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 27%
% Black 2% 10%
% Hispanic 26% 29%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 8% 2%
% International 7% 6%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

 UCSB Hunter
% In-State 80% 85%
% Out-of-State 9% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Barbara is larger than than Hunter based on total student enrollment (26,068 students vs. 22,879 students)

UCSB vs. Hunter Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or Hunter?

  • University of California Santa Barbara is 70.8% more expensive to attend than Hunter for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 186.4% higher at UCSB than CUNY Hunter College ($42,611.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY Hunter College than UCSB ($4,127 vs. $15,283)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at CUNY Hunter College are 65% lower than costs at University of California Santa Barbara ($11,324 vs. $18,684)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY Hunter College than University of California Santa Barbara (88% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Barbara students is 125.8% larger than aid received CUNY Hunter College ($21,732 vs. $9,624)

UCSB vs. Hunter Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 83 points higher than at Hunter (1165)
  • Accepted freshman UCSB students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at Hunter (3.7)
  • Hunter has a higher acceptance rate (54%) than UCSB (27.8%)

UCSB vs. Hunter Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSB or Hunter? 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 Hunter and UCSB.

  • The graduation rate at UCSB is higher than CUNY Hunter College (80% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Barbara earn on average $10,200 more per year than Hunter graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $48,800)
  • CUNY Hunter College students graduate with a $4,903 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSB graduates. ($11,548 vs. $16,451)
  • Hunter graduates are paying $51 less per month on federal student loans than UCSB graduates. ($119 vs. $170)
  • More UCSB graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Hunter students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 56%)

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