UCSB vs. UCSC

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

UCSB UCSC
Location Santa Barbara, CA Santa Cruz, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Small City
Enrollment 26,420 19,478
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #109 #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu ucsc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB UCSC
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $16,883 $18,185
Avg Net Price $16,874 $17,975
Avg Grant Aid $20,389 $21,202
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 68%

Admission

UCSB UCSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,995 65,912
Admitted 28,688 30,926
Acceptance Rate 25.8% 46.9%
Enrolled % 17.3% 12.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.63
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 28/34 25/33
SAT Range 1230/1460 1160/1360
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 UCSC
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)

Outcomes

UCSB UCSC
Graduation Rate 80% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $50,400
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $19,959
Median Loan Payment $170 $206

Diversity

UCSB UCSC
% Men 45% 50%
% Women 55% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 33%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 26% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 7%
% International 7% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

UCSB UCSC
% In-State 78% 90%
% Out-of-State 10% 7%

Campus

UCSB UCSC
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

  • University of California Santa Barbara is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (26,420 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSB vs. UCSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or UCSC?

  • University of California Santa Barbara and UCSC cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UCSB as University of California Santa Cruz ($41,636.00 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 UCSC ($16,874 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Barbara are 7.7% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($16,883 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than University of California Santa Barbara (68% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 4% larger than aid received University of California Santa Barbara ($21,202 vs. $20,389)

UCSB vs. UCSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 47 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming UCSB students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman UCSB students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than UCSB (25.8%)

UCSB vs. UCSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSB is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (80% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Barbara earn on average $8,600 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $3,508 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($16,451 vs. $19,959)
  • UCSB graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($170 vs. $206)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSB students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 73%)

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