UCSB vs. San Diego State

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

UCSB San Diego State
Location Santa Barbara, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Large City
Enrollment 26,420 37,402
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #109 #337
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu sdsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB San Diego State
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $17,622
Room & Board $16,883 $19,714
Avg Net Price $16,874 $13,017
Avg Grant Aid $20,389 $9,934
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 43%

Admission

UCSB San Diego State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,995 77,250
Admitted 28,688 30,331
Acceptance Rate 25.8% 39.3%
Enrolled % 17.3% 21.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Challenging
Applicant Competition High High
ACT Range 28/34 22/29
SAT Range 1230/1460 1090/1300
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

UCSB San Diego State
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 25:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

UCSB San Diego State
Graduation Rate 80% 66%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $53,400
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $15,349
Median Loan Payment $170 $158

Diversity

UCSB San Diego State
% Men 45% 42%
% Women 55% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 34%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 26% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 7%
% International 7% 6%
% Unknown Race 3% 4%

Students

UCSB San Diego State
% In-State 78% 77%
% Out-of-State 10% 21%

Campus

UCSB San Diego State
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

  • San Diego State University is larger than than UCSB based on total student enrollment (37,402 students vs. 26,420 students)

UCSB vs. San Diego State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or San Diego State?

  • University of California Santa Barbara is 101.4% more expensive to attend than San Diego State for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UCSB than San Diego State University ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego State University than UCSB ($13,017 vs. $16,874)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Barbara are 16.8% lower than costs at San Diego State University ($16,883 vs. $19,714)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Barbara than San Diego State University (53% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Barbara students is 105.2% larger than aid received San Diego State University ($20,389 vs. $9,934)

UCSB vs. San Diego State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 118 points higher than at San Diego State (1130)
  • Incoming UCSB students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at San Diego State (25)
  • Accepted freshman UCSB students have at the same average high school GPA (3.82) as students at San Diego State (3.82)
  • San Diego State has a higher acceptance rate (39.3%) than UCSB (25.8%)

UCSB vs. San Diego State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSB or San Diego 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 San Diego State and UCSB.

  • The graduation rate at UCSB is higher than San Diego State University (80% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Barbara earn on average $5,600 more per year than San Diego State graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $53,400)
  • San Diego State University students graduate with a $1,102 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSB graduates. ($15,349 vs. $16,451)
  • San Diego State graduates are paying $12 less per month on federal student loans than UCSB graduates. ($158 vs. $170)
  • More UCSB graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Diego State students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 65%)

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