University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA ucsb.edu 23,205 students

UC Santa Barbara's campus occupies a unique coastal setting on the former site of a Marine Corps air station. The university is divided into three undergraduate colleges and two graduate schools, with a strong emphasis on research. Known for its programs in the sciences and engineering, UCSB also houses the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. Its prime location offers students easy access to beaches and the surrounding Santa Barbara area.

Programs

Analyzed in dataset

Earnings

$44,160

Average graduate, 1 yr after

Outlook

51/100

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

Tuition

$14,965

In-state sticker price

Out-of-state: $45,742/yr

Financial Aid

The sticker price is rarely what families actually pay. UC Santa Barbara's grant and scholarship aid lowers the net price for most income brackets. 28% of students receive Pell Grants; 20% take federal loans.

Net Price by Family Income

Academic Year 2025

Income Bracket	Avg Net Price	4-Year Net Cost
$0 – $30K	$7,745	$30,980
$30K – $48K	$8,910	$35,640
$48K – $75K	$11,398	$45,592
$75K – $110K	$16,839	$67,356
$110K+	$30,085	$120,340
Sticker price (no aid)	$14,965	$59,860

Net price = tuition + fees + room & board minus grants and scholarships, by reported family-income bracket. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey via College Scorecard.

Programs at UC Santa Barbara

36 degree programs ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any program for AI scenario analysis and 10-year earnings projections.

Degree Program	DW Score	1-yr Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
Computer Science Compare across schools →	89	$107,776/yr	Very High	23.3x
Computer Engineering Compare across schools →	86	$91,387/yr	Very High	22.4x
Management Science Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Compare across schools →	84	$66,099/yr	Very High	15.5x
Economics Compare across schools →	80	$66,334/yr	Very High	17.0x
Mechanical Engineering Compare across schools →	74	$81,108/yr	Very High	15.8x
Chemical Engineering Compare across schools →	73	$79,737/yr	High	16.4x
Applied Mathematics Compare across schools →	73	$59,638/yr	Very High	17.3x
Physics Compare across schools →	69	$53,597/yr	Very High	16.4x
Statistics Compare across schools →	67	$55,110/yr	Very High	17.5x
Chemistry Compare across schools →	65	$47,197/yr	High	12.3x
Mathematics Compare across schools →	61	$46,447/yr	Very High	11.6x
Biochemistry Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology Compare across schools →	60	$49,100/yr	High	14.2x
Pharmacology & Toxicology Pharmacology and Toxicology Compare across schools →	58	$39,421/yr	High	15.3x
Political Science Political Science and Government Compare across schools →	57	$39,404/yr	Very High	11.3x
Communication and Media Studies Compare across schools →	55	$46,598/yr	High	11.3x
Research and Experimental Psychology Compare across schools →	50	$34,431/yr	High	10.1x
Geography and Cartography Compare across schools →	49	$37,398/yr	High	9.8x
Biology Biology, General Compare across schools →	48	$33,486/yr	High	11.7x
Microbiology & Immunology Microbiological Sciences and Immunology Compare across schools →	47	$42,634/yr	High	6.1x
Sociology Compare across schools →	43	$34,372/yr	High	8.9x
Cell Biology Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences Compare across schools →	42	$38,333/yr	High	8.5x
Romance Languages Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Compare across schools →	42	$35,635/yr	Very High	9.1x
History Compare across schools →	42	$29,749/yr	High	8.6x
Natural Resources & Conservation Research Natural Resources Conservation and Research Compare across schools →	41	$33,759/yr	High	10.2x
Anthropology Compare across schools →	41	$31,420/yr	High	8.7x
International Studies International/Global Studies Compare across schools →	37	$33,553/yr	Moderate	10.0x
Zoology Zoology/Animal Biology Compare across schools →	36	$37,633/yr	High	7.9x
Geosciences Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences Compare across schools →	36	$30,759/yr	High	11.0x
Ethnic & Cultural Studies Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies Compare across schools →	33	$32,341/yr	Very High	8.7x
Linguistics Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services Compare across schools →	31	$27,629/yr	Very High	7.8x
Philosophy Compare across schools →	31	$25,303/yr	Very High	9.9x
English English Language and Literature, General Compare across schools →	31	$24,099/yr	Very High	8.7x
Film & Photography Film/Video and Photographic Arts Compare across schools →	29	$28,608/yr	High	7.8x
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology Compare across schools →	28	$29,258/yr	High	7.3x
Theater & Drama Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Compare across schools →	22	$20,503/yr	Moderate	2.4x
Religious Studies Religion/Religious Studies Compare across schools →	15	$19,911/yr	Very High	2.3x