UCSB vs. Oxy

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

UCSB Oxy
Location Santa Barbara, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Large City
Enrollment 26,420 1,942
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #109 #72
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu oxy.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB Oxy
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $59,970
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $59,970
Room & Board $16,883 $17,330
Avg Net Price $16,874 $44,853
Avg Grant Aid $20,389 $33,025
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 76%

Admission

UCSB Oxy
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,995 6,305
Admitted 28,688 2,484
Acceptance Rate 25.8% 39.4%
Enrolled % 17.3% 21.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.63
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High High
ACT Range 28/34 31/34
SAT Range 1230/1460 1370/1510
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, 2024 Jan 10, 2025

Academics

UCSB Oxy
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)

Outcomes

UCSB Oxy
Graduation Rate 80% 83%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $56,600
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $23,652
Median Loan Payment $170 $244

Diversity

UCSB Oxy
% Men 45% 41%
% Women 55% 59%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 49%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 26% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 9%
% International 7% 6%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

UCSB Oxy
% In-State 78% 34%
% Out-of-State 10% 61%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Barbara is larger than than Oxy based on total student enrollment (26,420 students vs. 1,942 students)

UCSB vs. Oxy Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or Oxy?

  • Occidental College is 418.6% more expensive to attend than UCSB for in-state tuition ($59,970.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 44% higher at Oxy than University of California Santa Barbara ($59,970.00 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 Oxy ($16,874 vs. $44,853)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Barbara are 2.6% lower than costs at Occidental College ($16,883 vs. $17,330)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Occidental College than University of California Santa Barbara (76% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Occidental College students is 62% larger than aid received University of California Santa Barbara ($33,025 vs. $20,389)

UCSB vs. Oxy Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Occidental College (1304) is 56 points higher than at UCSB (1248)
  • Incoming Oxy students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at UCSB (29)
  • Accepted freshman UCSB students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at Oxy (3.63)
  • Oxy has a higher acceptance rate (39.4%) than UCSB (25.8%)

UCSB vs. Oxy Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Oxy is higher than University of California Santa Barbara (83% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Barbara earn on average $2,400 more per year than Oxy graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $56,600)
  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $7,201 lower median federal student loan debt than Oxy graduates. ($16,451 vs. $23,652)
  • UCSB graduates are paying $74 less per month on federal student loans than Oxy graduates. ($170 vs. $244)
  • More Oxy graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSB students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 73%)

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