UCSB vs. Penn State

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

 UCSB Penn State
Location Santa Barbara, CA University Park, PA
Setting Midsize Suburban Small City
Enrollment 26,068 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #112 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSB Penn State
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $39,626
Room & Board $18,684 $13,030
Avg Net Price $15,283 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $21,732 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 36%

Admission

 UCSB Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,871 85,956
Admitted 30,804 46,605
Acceptance Rate 27.8% 54.2%
Enrolled % 16.4% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 28/34 27/32
SAT Range 1230/1460 1220/1400
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 Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UCSB Penn State
Graduation Rate 80% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $170 $277

Diversity

 UCSB Penn State
% Men 6% 8%
% Women 5% 8%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 35% 69%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 26% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 3%
% International 7% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 UCSB Penn State
% In-State 80% 51%
% Out-of-State 9% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UCSB based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 26,068 students)

UCSB vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 66.2% more expensive to attend than UCSB for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.5% higher at UCSB than Penn State Main Campus ($42,611.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Barbara than Penn State ($15,283 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 43.4% lower than costs at University of California Santa Barbara ($13,030 vs. $18,684)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Barbara than Penn State Main Campus (50% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Barbara students is 87.7% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($21,732 vs. $11,577)

UCSB vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 46 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming UCSB students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than UCSB (27.8%)

UCSB vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSB or Penn State? 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 Penn State and UCSB.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of California Santa Barbara (87% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Barbara earn on average $3,700 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $55,300)
  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $10,367 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($16,451 vs. $26,818)
  • UCSB graduates are paying $107 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($170 vs. $277)
  • More UCSB graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 69%)

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