Type UCSB into Google Images, and you’ll see immediately why the University of California, Santa Barbara is consistently ranked one of the most beautiful colleges in the nation. I mean, just look at the header on this blog post–you’re basically having class on the beach!
Located 100 miles north of Los Angeles, University of California, Santa Barbara sits atop the Santa Barbara cliffs, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. But there’s a lot more to UCSB than the sun and sand.
UC Santa Barbara is divided into three colleges and two professional schools: the College of Letters & Science, the College of Engineering, the College of Creative Studies, the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, and the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. So you have a lot to choose from!
One of the ten major campuses affiliated with the University of California (think also UC Riverside, UC Santa Cruz), UCSB is currently ranked as the 8th best public school in the nation and offers its students a high level education for an amazing value (especially if you’re a California resident).
Before we dive into a thorough discussion of just exactly how you can make Santa Barbara your home, let’s take a quick look at some UCSB admissions statistics. You can also read more about how to get into UCSB here!
| UCSB SAT scores (average composite score of admitted students) | 1260 – 1460 out of 1600 (middle 50% of students accepted) |
| UCSB ACT scores (average composite score of admitted students) | 25 – 33 (middle 50% of students accepted) |
| UCSB Average GPA | 4.18 |
| UCSB Acceptance Rate | 36.9% |
Note that UCSB is test-blind until at least fall 2024, like the rest of the UC system. In the meantime, the A-G requirements still stand.
First and foremost, here are a few things you should know if you plan to take the SAT and submit your scores to UCSB:
So then, what do you actually need to score on your SAT to have a good shot at admission to UCSB?
The average SAT score of students admitted to UCSB is about 1360.
What does this mean? Well, since the average UCSB SAT score is 1360, if you score lower than 13600 that places you below average compared to other students applying to UCSB. A 1460 will put you above average compared to other applicants. We recommend shooting for that 75% mark and taking the SAT as many times as necessary to get there.
The breakdown for each of the SAT sections are as follows:
| Math | 620 – 770 |
| Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | 620 – 720 |
| Essay | 15 – 19 |
Here are important some things to know about submitting your ACT scores to UCSB:
For an excellent chance of getting accepted to UCSB, you’ll want to aim for 33 or higher.
The average ACT score UCSB admitted students is 29, with percentile distribution as follows:
This means if you score a 29 or below, you’ll placing yourself below average compared the other applicants. A 33 or above and you’re looking good! Again, we recommend taking the ACT as many times as you need to in order to snag that 33.
The average GPA of students admitted to UCSB is 4.18, which means you’ll want to be performing well in honors, AP, and IB classes to get that extra grade point boost.
Depending on how your school calculates your GPA, high grades in these types of classes can really bump up your overall GPA.
UCSB also has a minimum GPA requirement: 3.0 for California residents and 3.4 for non-residents. However, this GPA is calculated only from certain courses, and only if you took those courses during your sophomore or junior years.
Obviously this isn’t an excuse to slack off your freshman and senior years–but it does give you a little breathing room if you got off to a bumpy start at the beginning of high school.
UCSB received 93,457 undergraduate applications this year, and admitted 26,920 students. Therefore the UCSB admissions rate is 29.6%.
Out of the percentage admitted, 18% were enrolled.
The University of Santa Barbara publicly releases some very interesting information on the undergraduate student body. Here are some of the facts and figure about this year’s current freshman class:
| Female | 54% |
| Male | 45% |
| Asian, Asian-American, Pacific Islander | 28% |
| Black/African American | 5% |
| Chicano/Latino | 29% |
| Native American, American Indian, Native Alaskan, or Native Hawaiian | 1% |
| First Generation | 40% |
| California Residents | 83% |
| Out of State Residents | 5% |
| International Students | 12% |
Check out these FAQs about UCSB undergraduate admissions for more in-depth answers to all your burning questions, but here some of the greatest hits:
The UCSB Admissions website provides key information for Transfer Applicants.
This is a tricky one, because UCSB’s definition of residency varies between offices (for example, the admission office and the financial aid office).
However, residency information from these offices is not used to determine residency for tuition purposes–which is probably the kind of residency you’re interested in.
To be considered a California resident, you must:
The most important thing to remember about getting into UCSB is that no single portion of the application will be strong enough to carry you through the admissions process all on its own; your application needs to be holistically compelling and should demonstrate that you are a well-rounded candidate.
“Do your best to be involved with a good number of organizations, athletics or clubs in high school. UCSB is a diverse campus full of well-rounded, involved students, and showing that you’re one too will boost your chances. Don’t let that intimidate you–you don’t have to be the president of 6 clubs and a 4-year Varsity athlete AND Valedictorian to be considered a well-rounded student. In my own experience, I chose two or three extracurriculars and sports to focus in on and become the best I could be in those activities while also working hard in my academics. In other words, it’s better to show you can be consistent and committed to something than doing 10 million things.” — evongerichten, AdmitSee
So, let’s recap! Here’s your “How To Get Into UCSB” Checklist…You’ll need:
Since your ACT and/or SAT scores play such a large role in your application, you should definitely start studying as early as possible!
Check out this 1-week SAT free trial as well as a great 1-week ACT free trial to get you started.
Molly is one of Magoosh’s Content Creators. She designs Magoosh’s graphic assets, manages our YouTube channels and podcasts, and contributes to the Magoosh High School Blog. Since 2014, Molly has tutored high school and college students preparing for the SAT, GRE, and LSAT. She began her tutoring journey while in undergrad, helping her fellow students master math, computer programming, Spanish, English, and Philosophy. Molly graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a B.A. in Philosophy, and she continues to study ethics to this day. An artist at heart, Molly loves blogging, making art, taking long walks and serving as personal agent to her cat, who is more popular on Instagram than she is. LinkedIn View all posts
