UCSB vs. Stanford

Should I go to University of California Santa Barbara or Stanford University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSB or Stanford 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Harvard UCSD UCI Caltech UCSC Cal Poly MIT UC Berkeley UCLA UC Davis Duke USC
University of California Santa Barbara vs. Stanford University comparison
University of California Santa Barbara Stanford University College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Barbara Stanford University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UCSB Stanford
Location Santa Barbara, CA Stanford, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 26,420 18,283
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #109 #2
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu stanford.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB Stanford
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $57,693
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $57,693
Room & Board $16,883 $18,619
Avg Net Price $16,874 $18,279
Avg Grant Aid $20,389 $60,619
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 53%

Admission

UCSB Stanford
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,995 56,378
Admitted 28,688 2,075
Acceptance Rate 25.8% 3.7%
Enrolled % 17.3% 83.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.96
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition High Extreme
ACT Range 28/34 33/35
SAT Range 1230/1460 1500/1580
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 2, 2025

Academics

UCSB Stanford
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • General Studies (16%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (5%)

Outcomes

UCSB Stanford
Graduation Rate 80% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $122,900
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $12,475
Median Loan Payment $170 $128

Diversity

UCSB Stanford
% Men 45% 53%
% Women 55% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 37%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 26% 15%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 10%
% International 7% 9%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

UCSB Stanford
% In-State 78% 35%
% Out-of-State 10% 48%

Campus

UCSB Stanford
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 Stanford based on total student enrollment (26,420 students vs. 18,283 students)

UCSB vs. Stanford Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or Stanford?

  • Stanford University is 398.9% more expensive to attend than UCSB for in-state tuition ($57,693.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.6% higher at Stanford than University of California Santa Barbara ($57,693.00 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 Stanford ($16,874 vs. $18,279)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Barbara are 10.3% lower than costs at Stanford University ($16,883 vs. $18,619)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Barbara as Stanford University (53% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Stanford University students is 197.3% larger than aid received University of California Santa Barbara ($60,619 vs. $20,389)

UCSB vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Stanford University (1479) is 231 points higher than at UCSB (1248)
  • Incoming Stanford students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at UCSB (29)
  • Accepted freshman Stanford students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at UCSB (3.82)
  • UCSB has a higher acceptance rate (25.8%) than Stanford (3.7%)

UCSB vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Stanford is higher than University of California Santa Barbara (96% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from Stanford University earn on average $63,900 more per year than UCSB graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $59,000)
  • Stanford University students graduate with a $3,976 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSB graduates. ($12,475 vs. $16,451)
  • Stanford graduates are paying $42 less per month on federal student loans than UCSB graduates. ($128 vs. $170)
  • More Stanford graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSB students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 73%)

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