Campus & Student Life at University of California - Santa Barbara

Home to about 23,196 undergraduates in 2020, UCSB is a very large, public university located in Santa Barbara, California. A safe, suburban environment can offer many of the amenities of city living without the constant hum. Should you tire of the campus however, UCSB offers a “study abroad” program. Please note, some classes/degrees offered by UCSB can be taken “online” so keep that in mind when reviewing this report. For more context, you might also check out our UCSB Guide to Distance and Online Learning.

UCSB Has a Disability Services Site

Individuals with disabilities make up 5.0% of the student population at UCSB. For more information on policies and accommodations that the university provides to ensure all students get the opportunity to participate, you can visit UCSB Disability Services.

UCSB for the Military

While not a "service academy", UCSB does offer support for veterans and those seeking a career in the armed forces. Undergraduates have access to one or more ROTC programs and there is an active student veterans group on campus. For more information on policies related to veterans, you can visit UCSB Veteran Services . For more information, check out our UCSB for Veterans Guide.

UCSB offers On-Campus Day Care

For students with young families, UCSB does offer some day care. Programs like this are often in very high demand, so be sure to inquire as soon as you can.

Freshmen Living Arrangements at University of California - Santa Barbara

UCSB offers on-campus housing, but freshmen are not required to take advantage of it. In the end though, most do choose to live in the dorms.

* Data compiled from students who received financial aid, including loans.

Full-time vs. Part-time Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara

UCSB has a comparatively very large, student body. There were 23,196 undergraduates in 2020. Full-time attendance was 22,480 (96.9%). Part-time attendance was 716 (3.1%).

University of California - Santa Barbara is Ranked #168 for Overall Diversity

Compared to other colleges and universities across the nation, UCSB receives top marks for overall diversity. We rank UCSB #168 out of 3,451.

The chart below shows each element that we looked at to determine this ranking, and how that metric compares to the national average. 100 would indicate excellent diversity in each category, and 1 would mean poor diversity.

You can learn more about the diversity of the student body at UCSB by looking closer at the ethnic,  gender,  age, and geographic diversity metrics from the UCSB Diversity Guide.

University of California - Santa Barbara Competes in the NCAA

UCSB has a total of 536 student athletes, 269 men and 267 women who compete in inter-collegiate athletics.

Athletics Financing

For more information about athletics including per-team sizes, coaching and scholarships check out our Guide to University of California - Santa Barbara Athletics