Public · Mostly bachelor's degrees · Midsize suburb

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California. 23,113 undergraduates. Admits 33% of applicants.

84%Graduation rate29 pts above the national median for similar colleges (54%)
$16,807Average net price per year16% below the national median for similar colleges ($19,899)
$82,568Median earnings 10 years after starting40% above the national median for similar colleges ($58,912)
$11,776Median debt at graduation46% below the national median for similar colleges ($21,609)
Our read

Graduates' median debt ($11,776) equals 14% of former students' median earnings ten years after starting ($82,568). That is a light load relative to pay.

What families actually pay

Under $30,000$9,523
$30,000–$48,000$10,281
$48,001–$75,000$14,181
$75,001–$110,000$18,954
Over $110,000$36,658

Average yearly net price for first-time, full-time students who received federal aid, by family income. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships. Source: College Scorecard.

Compare net price across collegesPublished tuition and fees: $16,989 in-state, $54,591 out-of-state.

Do students finish, and what do they earn?

MeasureThis collegeSimilar colleges nationally
Graduation rate84%54%
Return for second year93%76%
Median earnings, 6 years after starting$61,127$49,318
Median earnings, 10 years after starting$82,568$58,912
Median debt at graduation$11,776$21,609

Graduation rate within 150% of normal time; retention is the share of first-year students who return. Earnings are medians for former students who received federal aid, working and not enrolled. National comparison is the median for colleges of the same type (mostly bachelor's degrees).

Programs and what graduates earn

127 programs reported
ProgramGraduates / yrMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian earnings, 5 yrsMedian debt
Computer Science174$121,223$172,854$10,000
Computer Engineering81$101,093$151,337$10,000
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering58$87,938$144,784$12,500
Chemical Engineering44$82,313$114,108$13,833
Mechanical Engineering87$80,791$114,088$12,166
Economics702$70,608$108,010$12,000
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods38$78,375$107,773—
Physics138$64,520$104,045$12,910
Pharmacology and Toxicology57$42,364$102,973$11,000
Applied Mathematics178$62,507$101,967$11,567
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology79$61,491$96,328$5,500
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences57$48,186$92,869—
Mathematics109$54,285$92,300$13,000
Statistics375$67,908$87,748$13,500
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology31$51,399$86,328$15,000
Chemistry75$56,258$85,571$14,407
Communication and Media Studies649$51,428$83,810$12,000
Biology, General381$38,556$81,134$11,571
Political Science and Government319$43,555$80,172$11,963
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services102$31,482$76,464$10,500
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences48$41,816$76,188$13,841
Geography and Cartography60$45,501$75,751$11,817
International/Globalization Studies137$46,238$72,706$12,750
Research and Experimental Psychology666$39,116$71,815$10,000
Philosophy93$38,395$71,535$11,599
History171$35,364$68,195$11,667
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics56$34,041$67,198$14,500
Natural Resources Conservation and Research352$42,711$66,633$11,564
Sociology650$40,249$66,040$9,825
English Language and Literature, General127$35,102$63,789$12,000
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies60$39,589$63,749$11,005
Religion/Religious Studies24$46,342$60,675—
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology85$38,535$58,588$12,000
Film/Video and Photographic Arts212$35,065$57,947$10,997
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics8—$57,874—
Music23—$57,546$9,816
Fine and Studio Arts115$33,711$55,308$10,979
Anthropology117$37,165$55,061$10,859
Zoology/Animal Biology28$30,872$52,084$11,000
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft31$30,366$45,843$12,367
Area Studies16$35,749——
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics10———
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics7———
Non-Professional Legal Studies1———
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences7———
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other1———
Dance24———
Business/Managerial Economics2———

Program-level medians for graduates who received federal aid. A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure to protect privacy, usually because the program is small. At four-year colleges, certificate graduates often earned a bachelor's at the same time, so their earnings can reflect the degree. Source: College Scorecard, field of study data.

Getting in

33%Admission rate
17:1Students per faculty member
32%Undergraduates with a Pell Grant

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Quick answers

How much does University of California-Santa Barbara cost per year?
The average net price at University of California-Santa Barbara, what students pay after grants and scholarships, is $16,807 per year. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How much do University of California-Santa Barbara graduates earn?
Former University of California-Santa Barbara students earn a median of $82,568 a year ten years after starting college. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
What is the graduation rate at University of California-Santa Barbara?
84% of University of California-Santa Barbara students graduate within 150% of normal time. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How much student debt do University of California-Santa Barbara graduates have?
The median federal student debt at graduation from University of California-Santa Barbara is $11,776. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.