UCSB vs. USD

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

UCSB USD
Location Santa Barbara, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Large City
Enrollment 26,420 8,815
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #109
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu sandiego.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB USD
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $53,810
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $53,810
Room & Board $16,883 $17,010
Avg Net Price $16,874 $36,008
Avg Grant Aid $20,389 $36,408
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 83%

Admission

UCSB USD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,995 14,334
Admitted 28,688 7,541
Acceptance Rate 25.8% 52.6%
Enrolled % 17.3% 16.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.95
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Unavailable
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 28/34
SAT Range 1230/1460
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 Dec 15, 2024

Academics

UCSB USD
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Business (39%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

UCSB USD
Graduation Rate 80% 75%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $70,200
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $22,904
Median Loan Payment $170 $236

Diversity

UCSB USD
% Men 45% 43%
% Women 55% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 53%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 26% 19%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 6%
% International 7% 7%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

UCSB USD
% In-State 78% 55%
% Out-of-State 10% 40%

Campus

UCSB USD
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 USD based on total student enrollment (26,420 students vs. 8,815 students)

UCSB vs. USD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or USD?

  • University of San Diego is 365.3% more expensive to attend than UCSB for in-state tuition ($53,810.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.2% higher at USD than University of California Santa Barbara ($53,810.00 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 USD ($16,874 vs. $36,008)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Barbara are 0.8% lower than costs at University of San Diego ($16,883 vs. $17,010)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Diego than University of California Santa Barbara (83% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 78.6% larger than aid received University of California Santa Barbara ($36,408 vs. $20,389)

UCSB vs. USD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 12 points higher than at USD (1236)
  • Incoming UCSB students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at USD (28)
  • Accepted freshman USD students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at UCSB (3.82)
  • USD has a higher acceptance rate (52.6%) than UCSB (25.8%)

UCSB vs. USD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSB is higher than University of San Diego (80% vs. 75%)
  • Graduates from University of San Diego earn on average $11,200 more per year than UCSB graduates after ten years. ($70,200 vs. $59,000)
  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $6,453 lower median federal student loan debt than USD graduates. ($16,451 vs. $22,904)
  • UCSB graduates are paying $66 less per month on federal student loans than USD graduates. ($170 vs. $236)
  • More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSB students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 73%)

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