UCSB vs. UMass

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

UCSB UMass
Location Santa Barbara, CA Amherst, MA
Setting Midsize Suburban Town Fringe
Enrollment 26,420 32,229
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #109 #176
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu umass.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB UMass
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $16,186
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $37,405
Room & Board $16,883 $14,123
Avg Net Price $16,874 $22,291
Avg Grant Aid $20,389 $12,350
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 85%

Admission

UCSB UMass
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,995 45,451
Admitted 28,688 28,871
Acceptance Rate 25.8% 63.5%
Enrolled % 17.3% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.99
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 28/34 29/33
SAT Range 1230/1460 1260/1480
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 15, 2025

Academics

UCSB UMass
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

UCSB UMass
Graduation Rate 80% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $55,200
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $24,000
Median Loan Payment $170 $248

Diversity

UCSB UMass
% Men 45% 49%
% Women 55% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 35% 67%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 26% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 3%
% International 7% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 8%

Students

UCSB UMass
% In-State 78% 65%
% Out-of-State 10% 24%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is larger than than UCSB based on total student enrollment (32,229 students vs. 26,420 students)

UCSB vs. UMass Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or UMass?

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is 40% more expensive to attend than UCSB for in-state tuition ($16,186.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.3% higher at UCSB than University of Massachusetts Amherst ($41,636.00 vs. $37,405.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Barbara than UMass ($16,874 vs. $22,291)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Massachusetts Amherst are 19.5% lower than costs at University of California Santa Barbara ($14,123 vs. $16,883)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Massachusetts Amherst than University of California Santa Barbara (85% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Barbara students is 65.1% larger than aid received University of Massachusetts Amherst ($20,389 vs. $12,350)

UCSB vs. UMass Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 22 points higher than at UMass (1226)
  • Incoming UCSB students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UMass (28)
  • Accepted freshman UMass students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.99) than students at UCSB (3.82)
  • UMass has a higher acceptance rate (63.5%) than UCSB (25.8%)

UCSB vs. UMass Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSB is higher than University of Massachusetts Amherst (80% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Barbara earn on average $3,800 more per year than UMass graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $55,200)
  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $7,549 lower median federal student loan debt than UMass graduates. ($16,451 vs. $24,000)
  • UCSB graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than UMass graduates. ($170 vs. $248)
  • More UMass graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSB students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 73%)

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