University of California - Santa Barbara

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3 5972

UC Santa Barbara at a Glance

Location:
Santa Barbara, CA
Control:
Public
In-State Tuition:
$11,686
Out-of-State Tuition:
$31,746
Room & Board:
$13,113
Average Financial Aid:
$14,216
Full-Time Undergrads:
19,310
Part-Time Undergrads:
495
More statistics . . .
School Website:
www.ucsb.edu
Admissions Website:
www.admissions.ucsb.edu
Financial Aid Website:
www.finaid.ucsb.edu
Application Deadline:
November 30
Acceptance Rate:
48 %
Admission Difficulty:
Average
Average SAT Scores:
1620–1980
Average ACT Scores:
23–29

Best Things

  • The laid-back beach atmosphere.
  • Lots of opportunities to get involved in different things.
  • There are concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl, the Hub on campus, and all of the student bands performing for free in Isla Vista on the weekends.
  • There are lots of good food options.
  • More best things . . .

Worst Things

  • There is no football team.
  • The administrative staff is really impersonal - nobody really makes an effort to help students, and they have to be responsible for double-checking their own credits. It takes a lot of effort to figure out where to go and what to do.
  • You don't finish the school year until mid-June.
  • Isla Vista has bad parking and loud partying.
  • More worst things . . .

Most Popular Majors

  • Social Sciences & Liberal Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • International Studies and Government
  • Business
  • More majors . . .

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

UCSB students can’t say enough good things about this place, and most never want to leave. Whether it’s the academics, the weather, the social scene, or the laid-back atmosphere, practically all students fall in love with something here. And, if you do get the urge to leave, LA is an hour and a half south, the wine country is a half-hour inland, San Francisco is five hours north, and San Diego is four hours south. Or you can spend your entire four years exploring Isla Vista and Santa Barbara. Tourists pay money to hang out here for a vacation, and UCSB students get to live here full time!

Give yourself a chance to get to know the school and the town. It can take a year to find your type of friends, your major, or your favorite club, but if you are actively searching, you will be able to find what you are looking for at UCSB. The students who excel at UCSB are independent and able to take care of themselves. Students have to be able to resist the social temptations a party school presents and plan their own schedules, while still keeping their well-being in mind—the school is too big to hold everyone’s hand. Overall, UCSB is the true college experience that many high school students have been anxiously awaiting. Sure, it doesn’t have a football team, but who needs that when students can spend Saturdays surfing or playing football game with friends right on the beach?

How do you
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See how your test scores and GPA compare to other students that have applied to the same school.

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University of California - Santa Barbara Campus Tour Video

UC Santa Barbara Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Transportation at University of California - Santa Barbara

meggymack

'15

Psychology

5.0
A+

Bikes and Buses

It is definitely easy to get just about anywhere you want to go. Fees with tuition go toward a free bus sticker for every student on the MTD bus system, which goes all over Goleta and Santa Barbara. There are several lines running through Goleta alone. Most people rely on bicycles to get everywhere on campus / in IV / in Goleta. Many also use skateboards / longboards.

Feb 10, 2012

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Off-Campus Dining at University of California - Santa Barbara

meggymack

'15

Psychology

4.2
A-

Good Variety

There are a lot of options in IV, plus fast food places (McDonald's, Jack in the Box, Subway) within walking distance off-campus. There is also a Chili's next to McDonald's, and a few other independent or local chain restaurants.

Feb 10, 2012

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Athletics at University of California - Santa Barbara

BBeck

'12

Biomedical Sciences and Molecular Medicine

2.7
C+

Good and Bad Sports Programs

The huge downside of the sports program at UCSB is the lack of a football team. However, I guarantee you've never been to a crazier college soccer game until you experience it hear at UCSB

Feb 09, 2012

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Buy The Guidebook

Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at UCSB

Name: Michael Cooper

Hometown: Danville, CA

Major: Sociology/Sports Management minor

see all student author bios > Become a student author to help update the guide for this school