UCSB vs. John Paul the Great Catholic University

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

UCSB John Paul the Great Catholic University
Location Santa Barbara, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Large City
Enrollment 26,068 298
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #112
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu jpcatholic.com
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB John Paul the Great Catholic University
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $28,500
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $28,500
Room & Board $18,684 $15,099
Avg Net Price $15,283 $31,811
Avg Grant Aid $21,732 $15,709
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 98%

Admission

UCSB John Paul the Great Catholic University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,871 280
Admitted 30,804 222
Acceptance Rate 27.8% 79.3%Open
Enrolled % 16.4% 33.8%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.56
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Average
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 28/34 21/27
SAT Range 1230/1460 1090/1260
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 John Paul the Great Catholic University
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (44%)
  • Theology and Religious Vvocations (26%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (3%)

Outcomes

UCSB John Paul the Great Catholic University
Graduation Rate 80% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 73% -
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $25,750
Median Loan Payment $170 $266

Diversity

UCSB John Paul the Great Catholic University
% Men 6% 0%
% Women 5% 0%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 54%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 26% 23%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 8% 3%
% International 7% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 12%

Students

UCSB John Paul the Great Catholic University
% In-State 80% 49%
% Out-of-State 9% 43%

Campus

UCSB John Paul the Great Catholic University
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Barbara is larger than than John Paul the Great Catholic University based on total student enrollment (26,068 students vs. 298 students)

UCSB vs. John Paul the Great Catholic University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or John Paul the Great Catholic University?

  • John Paul the Great Catholic University is 140.8% more expensive to attend than UCSB for in-state tuition ($28,500.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.5% higher at UCSB than John Paul the Great Catholic University ($42,611.00 vs. $28,500.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Barbara than John Paul the Great Catholic University ($15,283 vs. $31,811)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at John Paul the Great Catholic University are 23.7% lower than costs at University of California Santa Barbara ($15,099 vs. $18,684)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at John Paul the Great Catholic University than University of California Santa Barbara (98% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Barbara students is 38.3% larger than aid received John Paul the Great Catholic University ($21,732 vs. $15,709)

UCSB vs. John Paul the Great Catholic University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 142 points higher than at John Paul the Great Catholic University (1106)
  • Incoming UCSB students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at John Paul the Great Catholic University (25)
  • Accepted freshman UCSB students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at John Paul the Great Catholic University (3.56)
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University has a higher acceptance rate (79.3%) than UCSB (27.8%)

UCSB vs. John Paul the Great Catholic University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSB or John Paul the Great Catholic University? 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 John Paul the Great Catholic University and UCSB.

  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $9,299 lower median federal student loan debt than John Paul the Great Catholic University graduates. ($16,451 vs. $25,750)
  • UCSB graduates are paying $96 less per month on federal student loans than John Paul the Great Catholic University graduates. ($170 vs. $266)

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