UCSB vs. UNC Chapel Hill

Should I go to University of California Santa Barbara or University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSB or UNC Chapel Hill 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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill comparison
University of California Santa Barbara University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Barbara University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Overview

UCSB UNC Chapel Hill
Location Santa Barbara, CA Chapel Hill, NC
Setting Midsize Suburban Small City
Enrollment 26,420 31,705
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #109 #64
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu unc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB UNC Chapel Hill
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $7,019
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $35,580
Room & Board $16,883 $12,254
Avg Net Price $16,874 $10,614
Avg Grant Aid $20,389 $18,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 40%

Admission

UCSB UNC Chapel Hill
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,995 56,341
Admitted 28,688 9,639
Acceptance Rate 25.8% 17.1%
Enrolled % 17.3% 46%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.83
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Very High
ACT Range 28/34 30/34
SAT Range 1230/1460 1350/1530
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 UNC Chapel Hill
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

UCSB UNC Chapel Hill
Graduation Rate 80% 89%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $66,100
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $16,479
Median Loan Payment $170 $170

Diversity

UCSB UNC Chapel Hill
% Men 45% 40%
% Women 55% 60%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 35% 64%
% Black 2% 8%
% Hispanic 26% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 4%
% International 7% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

UCSB UNC Chapel Hill
% In-State 78% 83%
% Out-of-State 10% 12%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is larger than than UCSB based on total student enrollment (31,705 students vs. 26,420 students)

UCSB vs. UNC Chapel Hill Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or UNC Chapel Hill?

  • University of California Santa Barbara is 64.8% more expensive to attend than UNC Chapel Hill for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $7,019.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17% higher at UCSB than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($41,636.00 vs. $35,580.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill than UCSB ($10,614 vs. $16,874)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are 37.8% lower than costs at University of California Santa Barbara ($12,254 vs. $16,883)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Barbara than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (53% vs. 40%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Barbara students is 12.9% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($20,389 vs. $18,066)

UCSB vs. UNC Chapel Hill Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1343) is 95 points higher than at UCSB (1248)
  • Incoming UNC Chapel Hill students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UCSB (29)
  • Accepted freshman UNC Chapel Hill students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at UCSB (3.82)
  • UCSB has a higher acceptance rate (25.8%) than UNC Chapel Hill (17.1%)

UCSB vs. UNC Chapel Hill Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSB or UNC Chapel Hill? 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 UNC Chapel Hill and UCSB.

  • The graduation rate at UNC Chapel Hill is higher than University of California Santa Barbara (89% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn on average $7,100 more per year than UCSB graduates after ten years. ($66,100 vs. $59,000)
  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $28 lower median federal student loan debt than UNC Chapel Hill graduates. ($16,451 vs. $16,479)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UCSB graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($170 vs. $170)
  • More UNC Chapel Hill graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSB students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 73%)

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