Like most colleges and universities, the University of California uses many criteria in their selection process; getting into UCSB  is about more than grades. Admitted students have excellent grades in challenging courses, but UCSB also looks at your personal insight questions, extracurriculars, leadership, community service, and special talents. They want to see the full picture of who you are, what you care about, and how you contribute to your community. UC Santa Barbara is selective, so putting together an application that shows both your academic strengths and what makes you unique will give you the best chance to stand out in a large pool of applicants.

Key Admissions Data Points:

• Acceptance rate for Fall 2024 was 33%¹ 

• 2024 saw 110,000 applicants, 42,000 admits, and 5,000 enrolled students¹

• 31% are first-generation college students¹

• 33%  of families make less than 100k¹

• The middle 50% of these students' High School GPA was 4.09-4.28¹

• 50% of admitted students took 7 or more HP/AP classes in high school²

¹ New Freshmen Profile

² 2017 Freshmen Profile