UCSB Acceptance Rate 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026

UCSB Acceptance Rate & Average GPA

Contents

Check here UCSB Acceptance Rate for all year. Here I have listed UCSB Acceptance Rate

UCSB Acceptance Rate 2022
UCSB Acceptance Rate 2023
UCSB Acceptance Rate 2024
UCSB Acceptance Rate 2025
UCSB Acceptance Rate 2026

UCSB Acceptance Rate: UCSB is in Santa Barbara, CA. Public college with few programmes. UCSB has 27,000 students annually.

This school accepts SAT/ACT. Students must score 1230-1480 on the SAT or 27-34 on the ACT to get admitted. 25th-75th percentile scores are fine.

The average GPA of accepted students at UCSB is 3.55 to 3.96, according to selected statistics. UCSB is quite selective.

Acceptance rate: 30%The historical UCSB acceptance rate for 2021 is 30%. Admissions.ucsb.edu has further info.

UCSB Acceptance Rate

Although it changes from year to year, the acceptance percentage at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has typically been between 30 and 40% recently. This indicates that between 30 and 40 percent of applicants to UCSB are accepted.

It’s important to remember that a number of variables, including the volume of applications, the number of openings in the incoming class, and the general calibre of the applicant pool, can have an impact on acceptance rates. The acceptance rate may change from year to year as a result.

Knowing the university’s admissions standards and making sure your application is solid are wise moves if you’re thinking about applying to UCSB.

A good GPA, impressive test results, and interesting extracurricular activities are some examples of this. Spending time and effort on your personal statement will also help you stand out from the competition.

Admission Requirements That Decides UCSB Acceptance Rate

The first thought that comes to mind when thinking about applying for admission to the University of California, Santa Barbara, is how to get in and what standards to meet.

Although there are numerous considerations when applying to this university, each one is distinct in its own way. It would be beneficial if you concentrated on these:

GPA requirements at UC Santa Barbara
Score requirements for the SAT and ACT
composing essays.

You can learn more about the UCSB acceptance rate and entrance standards by reading this article. You will have a better probability of being chosen as a result. If you want to enrol at UCSD, knowing the UC Santa Barbara acceptance rate is crucial.

It informs you of the level of market competition. A 36.6% acceptance percentage is considered to be average.

This means that 36 students who meet the UC Santa Barbara GPA, SAT, and ACT standards get admitted to the university.

The information at hand indicates that UCSB is quite competitive. If you fulfil all conditions, including having the necessary SAT and ACT scores, you will be admitted.

UCSB GPA

The University of California, Santa Barbara, sets the minimal GPA standards. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required for California residents, while a minimum 3.4 GPA is required for non-residents.

In extraordinary situations, exceptions might exist. For additional details, kindly visit the website.

UCSB GPA Requirement

I’m sorry, but I’m not able to provide information about specific GPA requirements UC Santa Barbara.

It’s important to note that GPA requirements can vary depending on the program or major you are interested in, and can also change from year to year.

I recommend checking with the admissions office of UC Santa Barbara or the specific program you are interested in for the most up-to-date and accurate information on GPA requirements.

The acceptance rate at UC Santa Barbara based on required GPAs is displayed in the table below.

UC Santa Barbara GPA Requirements	UCSB Acceptance Rate	Competitiveness
3.75 and above	81 %	Good
3.50 – 3.75	14%	Reach
3.25 – 3.50	1%	Low
3.00 – 3.25	1%	Low

SAT and ACT Requirements

The standards for standardised testing vary amongst schools. The SAT/ACT and several SAT subject tests are required by many schools.

You must take the SAT/ACT or both in order to apply to UCSB. Possessing a solid application is crucial.

SAT Score Requirements to Increase UCSB Acceptance Rate

Students’ SAT scores play a key part in gaining admission to UCSB. Let’s examine what the school’s average SAT score is. Admission administrators normally expect applicants to be top 20% of SAT test-takers.

The institution also requires that your SAT score should be at least 1230. Your prospects of being admitted may be poor if you score below 1230.

For admissions, the University of California is ranked 3 in California. According to estimations, the average SAT score for admission is 1360 out of 1600.

Below is a table that illustrates the SAT score needed to increase the UC Santa Barbara acceptance rate.

SAT Score	Acceptance rate	Competitiveness
1480 and above	Above 42%	Good
1355-1480	30-42%	Above average
1230-1355	20-30%	Below average
1105-1230	13-20%	Reach
1105 and below	Below 13%	Low

UCSB ACT Score Requirements

For UC Santa Barbara admission requirements, your ACT score is crucial. According to admission data from previous years, the school only grants admission to students whose ACT score exceeds 27.

In some cases, however, admission may be granted to students with ACT scores as low as 24. Applicants with a minimum ACT score of 30 are granted priority when applying for admission.
Students with 30 or more ACT scores have a high chance of being admitted to UCSB.

To increase your chances of being accepted to UCSB, it is a good idea to focus on getting distinctive marks on the ACT exams. Below is a table that will provide a detailed overview of the ACT score and its competitiveness.

ACT Score	Acceptance rate	Competitiveness
34 and above	Above 44%	Good
30-34	30-44%	Above average
27-30	21-30%	Below average
24-27	15-21%	Reach
Below 24	Below 15%	Low

SAT Score Choice Policy

Your school’s Score Choice policy is crucial to your testing strategy.

UCSB’s Score Choice policy is “All Scores.” “

UCSB will require you to submit all SAT scores that you have ever taken to their office.

Although this sounds scary, most schools don’t consider all scores equally. They won’t average scores from two different tests, so if one score is 1300 and the other is 1500, it doesn’t mean they will average them.

The school may take your highest score on one test date. Some schools even offer Superstores, which combine your highest score from all test dates with your best section score.

Some students still worry about too many test scores. Students are concerned that UCSB might disapprove of too many attempts at improving their scores. But how many are too many?

We learned from research and speaking with admissions officers that 4-6 is the safest number to submit. Retaking the test can help you get the best chance of being admitted to college. They don’t care how many times it’s been taken. They will only care about your score.

Colleges will start to question why you aren’t improving each time you take the test more than six times. They will question your ability to learn and study.

We strongly recommend that you retake the test if your score is below 6. We strongly suggest you prepare for the SAT and retake it if your SAT score is below 1480.

There is nothing to lose, and you have the potential to raise your score significantly and increase your chances of being accepted.

ACT Score Sending Policy

The ACT is better than the SAT. This affects testing.

Colleges have full control over ACT scores.

Take 10 tests and send your best. SAT test scores must be sent in.

This means you can improve your ACT score more than you think. Take the ACT as often as possible to meet the school’s 32-point minimum. You can transmit your final score to all colleges after you’re pleased.

ACT Superscore Policy

Most colleges don’t superscore the ACT. Superscore is where the school takes the highest section scores from all test dates and then adds them together to give the best composite score. Most schools will only accept your highest ACT score in one sitting.

Unfortunately, we could not locate the school’s exact ACT policy. This most likely means that they do not exist in Superscore.

Regardless, UCSB can send you your best ACT score. It would help if you prepared until you achieve our recommended target score of 32.

Top Majors at UCSB

Social Sciences Majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Majors
Biological and Biomedical Sciences Majors
Psychology Major
Mathematics and Statistics Majors

How to Apply to UCSB

Deadlines

Applications may be submitted between November 1–November 30.

Application Requirements

UC application
Transcript
Supplemental application (select colleges and majors only)

How To Get Into UCSB?

It is difficult to get into UCSB, as you can see from the data. To secure a spot at the college, applicants must prepare well in high school.

These are some tips to help you prepare for UCSB.

It would help if you aimed to achieve a minimum 4.17 GPA at high school by taking the most challenging classes. California residents must have a minimum 3.0 GPA, while applicants from out of state need 3.4. It would help if you had a higher than average GPA score to increase your chances of being selected.
To stand out among your peers, get involved in extracurricular activities. UCSB is a school that values exceptional talent and quality when making admission decisions. The school authorities are interested in what you can bring to the school. Admission officers will be impressed by activities such as club participation, award-winning research, and creative projects that have received national recognition.
You can apply for California residency if you have documents proving your in-state residence. Applicants who reside in the state have a higher chance of being admitted. Only 9 percent of applicants from out-of-state were selected last year for USCB’s first courses.
Writing essays is an integral part of the admission process. UCSB provides its applicants with an essay prompt. The school does not accept a joint applications.
When writing essays, it is essential to focus on your uniqueness. The school authorities are more interested in your unique writing style than any other. You cannot cheat the admissions authorities by copying material from other sources. It is also a massive benefit to applicants if they are authentic.
Financial difficulties can be brought to the attention of school officials if you have particular needs, such as disabilities, backward social background, low family income, or a family’s first generation to go to college. UCSB considers all special requirements for applicants in making final admission decisions.

Admissions Trends & Notes

30% of 2021-22 first-years were first-gen.
28% of Class 2025 are underrepresented minorities.
1.4% of college-bound kids had a GPA below 3.5.
Class of 2025 average applicant had 3.99 GPA, average accepted applicant had 4.36.
Class of 2024 applicants increased 16% over Class of 2025.

Who Gets Into UC-Santa Barbara?

Let’s examine the demographics of undergraduate students at UC Santa Barbara.

The majority of students at UC Santa Barbara are from California and pay in-state tuition. The full geographic split is shown below.

Non-residents from other U.S. States make up 12% of the population.
California’s share is 75%.
13% worldwide percentage

Ethnic identities can be used to segment the Class of 2025.

Asian: 18%
African Americans: 24% of Hispanics 4%
worldwide: 13%
White people: 31%

The gender breakdown reveals a virtually equal distribution of male and female students.

39% male,

59% female

UC-Santa Barbara’s Yield Rate

The yield rate at UC Santa Barbara was 16%. This is the percentage of accepted students who choose to enroll divided by the total number of admitted students.

This rate is lower than that of other UC campuses like Irvine (20%) and UCSD (17%). It’s also lower than UCLA (44%).

How UCSB Rates Applicants

GPA and application essays are the only two elements that UC-Santa Barbara deems “extremely essential” for their admissions procedure. Class rank is the only factor designated as “important.”

Talent/ability, character/personal quality, extracurricular activities, and volunteer experience are all seen as “essential” factors.

As we previously stated, all UC campuses, including UC Santa Barbara, have been test-blind. This highlights UC Santa Barbara’s long-standing comprehensive review procedure even more.

According to the admissions office:

At UCSB, your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are all considered in a comprehensive analysis over 13 dimensions. Your application will not be ranked in relation to that of other applicants elsewhere. To attract freshmen,
UCSB does not solely rely on scholastic performance. Your potential is evaluated with your extracurricular activities and accomplishments.

Tips for Applying to UC-Santa Barbara

The following information is essential if you want to join the 105,000+ Gaucho hopefuls in the next admissions cycle.

Davis evaluates the number of UC-approved honors, AP, IB, or dual enrollment courses a student took.
Find out more about A-G Subject Requirements.
Although it is a holistic process, UC Santa Barbara doesn’t offer interviews.
UC Santa Barbara does not consider ” displayed interest” as part of the admissions process.
UC Santa Barbara requires you to devote sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essays. There are eight prompts in the 2022-23 cycle. Applicants are asked to select four to answer. Each response can not exceed 350 words.

Similar Schools & Ranking

In terms of academics, admittance rate, student life, and overall ranking, UCSB is the UC with the highest rankings.

Similar to UCSB are a few California State Universities (CSUs) that are not a part of the UC system. CSU Long Beach and California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo are two of them. These huge public schools all provide challenging academics and a beachfront atmosphere.

If UCSB interests you but you don’t want to live in California, you have options.

UCSB is ranked sixth among all universities by U.S. News. A great school for veterans and social mobility, as well.

According to how well-serving the nation’s universities are, Washington Monthly ranks them. Washington Monthly places UCSB at number 20.

The rankings at Niche.com are determined by the U.S. Department of Education’s data as well as feedback from former students and graduates. All public universities together place UCSB at #119. For serving Hispanic populations, though, it excels.

Is UCSB hard to get into?

International students and out-of-state applicants may have trouble getting into UCSB. Non-Californians may have trouble getting into UC Santa Barbara.

Major can affect application. Computer science admissions are tougher than actuarial science.

The College of Engineering accepts majors. UC Santa Barbara’s most competitive college, the College of Letters and Science, does not admit majors.

UCSB transfers are easier than freshmen. Keep a high GPA and complete all prerequisites to apply to any California community college. Accepted.

UC Santa Barbara is selective and competitive.

Example: UC San Diego. UCSB’s admission rate is lower.

Applying for Admission as an International Student

International students may apply to UC as first-year or transfer students, depending on their education level.

Out-of-State Applicants

Californian? Excellent! UCSB accepts domestic students. UCSB has 49 domestic students for 2019-2020.

Admission requirements for transfer students

Transfer students are:

After high school/secondary school, did you attend college/university (fall/winter/spring)?

International transfer students must meet UC’s standards. Transfer applicants must meet these prerequisites.

Spring enrollment at UC requires the following 7-course schedule.
Grammar: Two transferable courses; one math/quantitative thinking course.
Four college-transferable courses from one of these subjects:
Humanities
Social sciences
Natural sciences

UCSB Acceptance rate 2022-2026

3 history courses and 1 chemistry course

2 Sociology courses, 1 Physics course, and 1 Art History course

1 Biology course and 3 Literature courses

1.At least 60-semester units (90 quarters) of UC-transferable credits must be completed.

You may not take more than 14 semesters (21 quarters) units from the 60-semester units (90 quarters).

2.At least a 2.4 GPA is required for UC-transferable classes (2.8 if nonresident).

For admission to specific majors, you may need a higher GPA.

Remember: You will need to take 2 transferable college courses (either 3-semester units or 4-5 quarter units) in English composition as part of the 7-course program. UC does not accept English composition courses offered by international universities that do not speak English.

UC Santa Barbara Application Fee

UCSB application fee is $80.

Scholarships

The annual tuition cost for in-state students is $36,765; however, after financial aid and scholarship, it comes to around $16,236.

All incoming freshmen can be considered for the Regents Scholarship. This award is $5,000 per year and four years.

It is based on their UC Applications. The Middle-Class Scholarship pays 10-40% of any remaining fees for eligible UC and CSU incoming first-year students whose household income is more significant than $184,000 annually.

If you can show financial need and receive additional grants or scholarships, the total cost of your education can be reduced even further.

If they have outstanding academic achievements, some freshmen may be eligible for special grants or awards in their second, three, and fourth years. They do not usually require an application. You can also apply for prestigious scholarships.

To search for scholarships from third-party, external sources, students who are currently enrolled can log into ScholarshipUniverse to filter and browse available scholarship opportunities that match their backgrounds.

What Does UCSB Look For In The applicants?

Passing or credit suffices.) California residents must earn at least a 3.0 GPA, and non-residents must earn a minimum GPA of 3.4.

The university also wants to see you challenging yourself by taking the most rigorous curriculum available to you. But UCSB considers more than your academic achievements.

These subjects are covered in A-G courses

A: History/Social Sciences
B: English
C: Mathematics
D: Science
E: Language other than English
F: Visual & Performing Arts
G: College-Preparatory elective

International students’ visa requirements

Passports, DS2019s, and J-1 visa stamping are required for international students. International students must provide financial information as well as supporting documentation.

In exchange, the inspector will complete and submit an I-94 Form. This will be used as an admission/departure authorization record.

School Safety

The school’s campus safety data wasn’t independently checked.

Criminal violations are reported to campus security and police, but not necessarily prosecuted.

Potential students and their families should examine campus and neighbourhood safety, say experts.

UCSB Academic Life

UCSB assigns one faculty member for every 17 students. This means that 54.1% of college classes have fewer than 20 students. This increases the likelihood of students receiving individual attention for a better learning experience.

UCSB offers degrees in business, fine arts and humanities, science and psychology, education, social science, biology, biomedical science, and visual arts. 93% is the average student satisfaction, and 93% is freshman retention.

Students who are unsure how to get into UCSB can remember that they can get in with exceptional preparation and an outstanding extracurricular profile.

Student Life at University of California–Santa Barbara

UCSB has 2309 undergraduates, with 56% males and 44% females.

39% of students at this university live in college-owned housing. Most live off-campus. UCSB is in NCAA I.

University of California, Santa Barbara Campus

In Santa Barbara, California, there is a public research institution known as the University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB). It is one of the University of California system’s 10 campuses.

The Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Institute for Energy Efficiency are just two of the renowned research centres and institutes located at UC Santa Barbara, which is well known for its robust liberal arts and sciences programmes.

The 1,022-acre campus has a Mediterranean-style architecture, earning it the moniker “The University of California’s Riviera.” It is located close to the Pacific Ocean.

UCSB Acceptance Rate FAQS

Q.1 What is the acceptance rate for UCSB?

ANS. For the 2020–2021 academic year, 35% of first-time freshman applicants at UCSB were accepted.

This indicates that 35% of all first-time freshmen candidates received an admissions offer from UCSB. Remember that acceptance rates might change from year to year and depend on a number of variables.

Q.2 What is the cost of attending UCSB?

ANS. Costs vary based on whether you’re an in-state or out-of-state student, live on or off campus, and are an undergraduate or graduate student.

The expected cost of attendance for a full-time in-state undergraduate living on campus in 2020-2021 was $32,707 and $69,906 for an out-of-state student.

Q.3 Is UCSB a Tier 1 school?

ANS. UC Santa Barbara is an academic institution of the top tier that is internationally renowned and ranked for our contribution across disciplines.

Q.4 Is UCSB a good university?

ANS. UC Santa Barbara has been exceptionally successful in other rankings across the nation. The school was ranked in the top spot.

12 on the list of public universities in the Forbes annual list of America’s Top Colleges and landed among the top universities for public students in the Washington Monthly’s 2021 National University Rankings.

Q.5 Are UCSB students happy?

ANS. The Princeton Review recently declared UCSB students the happiest of all students in California.

In honor of the International Day of Happiness, it’s only appropriate that some of these students talk about the things they love about UCSB that boost their daily happiness levels.