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UCSD San Diego State Loyola Marymount UCI UCSC Cal Poly Chapman UC Davis UCLA UW-Seattle UC Berkeley Pepperdine| University of California Santa Barbara | University of San Diego | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
UCSB | USD | ||
| Location | Santa Barbara, CA | San Diego, CA | ||
| Setting | Midsize Suburban | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 26,068 | 9,110 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #112 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | Roman Catholic | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | ucsb.edu | sandiego.edu | ||
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Costs |
UCSB | USD | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,834 | $55,690 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $42,611 | $55,690 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,684 | $18,084 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $15,283 | $37,675 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $21,732 | $37,444 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 50% | 84% |
Admission |
UCSB | USD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 110,871 | 15,953 | ||
| Admitted | 30,804 | 7,458 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 27.8% | 46.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 16.4% | 16.7% | ||
| 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, 2025 | Dec 15, 2025 |
Academics |
UCSB | USD | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 17:1 | 14:1 | ||
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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 | 6% | 15% | ||
| % Women | 5% | 22% | ||
| 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 | 80% | 51% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 9% | 43% | ||
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 (26,068 students vs. 9,110 students)
UCSB vs. USD Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, UCSB or USD?
- University of San Diego is 370.6% more expensive to attend than UCSB for in-state tuition ($55,690.00 vs. $11,834.00)
- Out of state tuition is 30.7% higher at USD than University of California Santa Barbara ($55,690.00 vs. $42,611.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Barbara than USD ($15,283 vs. $37,675)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Diego are 3.3% lower than costs at University of California Santa Barbara ($18,084 vs. $18,684)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Diego than University of California Santa Barbara (84% vs. 50%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 72.3% larger than aid received University of California Santa Barbara ($37,444 vs. $21,732)
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 (46.7%) than UCSB (27.8%)
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/