University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA · Official website ↗
University of California, Santa Barbara is in Santa Barbara, CA, United States. Tuition for international students: $54,858 per year (2026-27 figure). Standard entry requirements: A-levels (British Systems) Three GCE A-Level exams, 3.0 GPA, no grade below C; five GCSE/IGCSE exams, 3.4 GPA or higher; IB Diploma Diploma score 30 or higher; average 5, no exam below 4; six IB exams, three at higher level. Language: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 80. Applying: intake: Fall.
✓ 14 facts from 7 official pages, each with the exact sentence it comes from · checked 2026-11-12 · How we verify
33%
Admission rate
23,113
Undergraduates
$54,591
Tuition (U.S. out-of-state)
$44,833
Cost of attendance / yr
$82,568
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
Public university: the tuition shown is the rate for U.S. students from other states. International students usually pay this rate or more, and need extra funds for health insurance and visa costs — check the college's international cost page.
Reference only. Automatically checked against the college's official pages on 2026-11-12; maintained by Jordan Lee, editor. Colleges can change policies at any time — confirm on the official page before you apply. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Quick summary
| Cost per year | not yet determined — public universities publish in-state costs; international students pay more. The college asks you to show $80,000 in available funds for the I-20 (visa paperwork). This is proof you can pay, not a bill. |
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| Money from the college | Need-based aid: not yet determined. Merit scholarships: not yet determined. No named scholarship is confirmed open to international students yet. |
| Chances of admission | selective: about 1 in 3 applicants is admitted. English minimum: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL (1–6) 4.5, TOEFL 80, Duolingo 115. |
| Application deadlines | Earliest: Nov 30 (Regular Decision — The normal round; not binding.) |
| Where and how students live | Santa Barbara, CA · Midsize suburb · summer highs about 24°C, winter lows about 5°C · 139 km from BUR airport |
| Housing | First-year housing: Available (apply); housing and meals $23,985 per year |
| Working while studying | F-1 students may work on campus up to 20 hours per week while school is in session. Other work needs authorization: curricular practical training (CPT) during the program, or off-campus employment for economic hardship after one full academic year, approved by the DSO and USCIS. |
| After graduation | Optional Practical Training (OPT): 12 months of work in the field of study after a bachelor's degree; a 24-month extension applies to DHS-designated STEM degrees. |
Plain-language summary of the verified details below. Where it says “not yet determined”, we have not found it on an official page yet.
Financial aid & requirements for international students
| Aid & admission for international applicants | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
|---|---|
| Meets full financial need | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| Merit scholarships | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| Forms for international aid applicants | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| Must request aid when applying? | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| SAT / ACT policy | Test-blind (scores not considered)Sources (1)“UCSB will not use SAT/ACT scores in our admission decisions or scholarship selection process.”admissions.sa.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12 |
| English proficiency | English test required unless an exemption applies
Sources (5)“If your native language is not English—and your high school, college, or university education was in a country where the language of instruction was not English, or if you have fewer than three years of instruction in English—you must provide evidence of English proficiency to be successful in your studies at UCSB.”admissions.ext-prod.sa.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Internet-based test (iBT) or iBT Home Edition test taken January 2026 or later: Minimum score of 4.5 or better”admissions.ext-prod.sa.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Internet-based test (iBT) or iBT Home Edition test taken before January 2026: Minimum score of 80 or better”admissions.ext-prod.sa.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Score 6.5 or higher on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)”admissions.ext-prod.sa.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Duolingo English Test (DET) : Minimum score of 115”admissions.ext-prod.sa.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12 |
| Conditional admission / English pathway | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
Applying
| Academic entry requirement for your school qualification |
Requirements for other school qualifications differ by country — see the college's page ↗ |
|---|---|
| Intakes (start months) for first-year entry | Fall |
Deadlines (fall 2027 entry)
| Regular Decision — Application — Fall intake | Nov 30 The normal round; not binding. Source (2)“The UC Application is open each year on August 1. The application filing period begins on October 1 - November 30, 2026 for the fall 2027 term.”admissions.sa.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“UCSB is only open for fall admission.”admissions.sa.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12 |
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Dates as published by the college; check the official page for time zones and supporting-document deadlines.
Costs for international students
| Tuition | $54,858 per year (2026–27 figure) (reference) |
|---|---|
| Housing and meals | $23,985 per year (2026–27 figure) (reference) |
| Student health insurance | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| Proof of funds for the I-20 | $80,000 per year (reference) Funds you must document for the first year to receive the I-20 (needed for the student visa). |
Sources (7)
“Below is a sample UCSB Undergraduate Cost of Attendance Budget for 2026-2027, showing in-state CA Resident versus out-of-state, based on a brand new incoming freshman living in the Residence Halls (or "dorms").”www.finaid.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Tuition and Student Services Fee 1 $ 15,588”www.finaid.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition 1 $ 39,270”www.finaid.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Rent 2 $ 13,203”www.finaid.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Food $ 10,782”www.finaid.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“U.S. Immigration regulations require that OISS verifies your financial resources to cover the estimated fees and living expenses for the first year of your program before issuing your visa documents.”oiss.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Undergraduate Students : $80,000”oiss.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12Where students live
| First-year on-campus housing | Available (apply) Source (1)“most residence hall rooms are shared by three students so we can accommodate all of our incoming students.”www.housing.ucsb.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-12 |
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Work and after graduation
| Work allowed while studying (rule as stated by the government) | F-1 students may work on campus up to 20 hours per week while school is in session. Other work needs authorization: curricular practical training (CPT) during the program, or off-campus employment for economic hardship after one full academic year, approved by the DSO and USCIS. government rule Source (4)“If you participate in on-campus employment, you may not work more than 20 hours per week when school is in session.”studyinthestates.dhs.gov ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“F students are eligible for curricular practical training (CPT) at either the undergraduate or the graduate level during the program of study. CPT employment must be an integral part of an established curriculum and the position must directly relate to your major area of study.”studyinthestates.dhs.gov ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Off-campus employment is only available to you if you have completed at least one full academic year of your program of study and have an economic hardship that qualifies for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's emergent circumstances.”studyinthestates.dhs.gov ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“To work off campus, you must receive approval from your DSO, obtain an updated Form I-20 and apply for and receive employment authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).”studyinthestates.dhs.gov ↗ · checked 2026-11-12 |
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| Work hours allowed per week during term (student visa) | 20 (reference) government rule Source (1)“If you participate in on-campus employment, you may not work more than 20 hours per week when school is in session.”studyinthestates.dhs.gov ↗ · checked 2026-11-12 |
| Post-study work visa (name and length) | Optional Practical Training (OPT): 12 months of work in the field of study after a bachelor's degree; a 24-month extension applies to DHS-designated STEM degrees. government rule Source (4)“Twelve months of Regular OPT is available for each higher level of study. (For example a student may have 12 months for a bachelor's degree and another 12 months for a master's degree.)”studyinthestates.dhs.gov ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Optional practical training is one type of work permission available for eligible F-1 students. It allows students to get real-world work experience related to their field of study.”studyinthestates.dhs.gov ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“For students who majored in designated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degrees approved by DHS. This type of OPT is a 24-month extension of OPT.”studyinthestates.dhs.gov ↗ · checked 2026-11-12“Have earned a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from a school that is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency and is certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) at the time you submit your STEM OPT extension application.”www.uscis.gov ↗ · checked 2026-11-12 |
Earnings by field of study
| Field | After 1 year | After 4 years |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science STEM | $121,223 | $149,190 |
| Computer Engineering STEM | $101,093 | $144,703 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering STEM | $87,938 | $117,215 |
| Chemical Engineering STEM | $82,313 | $113,317 |
| Applied Mathematics STEM | $62,507 | $109,360 |
| Mechanical Engineering STEM | $80,791 | $104,336 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology STEM | $42,364 | $98,462 |
| Economics STEM | $70,608 | $98,178 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods STEM | $78,375 | $96,078 |
| Statistics STEM | $67,908 | $90,778 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology STEM | $61,491 | $90,694 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology STEM | $51,399 | $90,061 |
Median yearly earnings of graduates of this college's bachelor's programme in each field, 1 and 4 years after finishing. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (retrieved 2026-11-11). Only graduates who received U.S. federal student aid are counted, so international students are not included. “STEM” = the field includes majors on the U.S. DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List (updated 2024-07-22); graduates of those majors on F-1 visas may apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. Check your exact major's CIP code with the college.
Location
| City / state | Santa Barbara, CA |
|---|---|
| Setting | Midsize suburb |
| Nearest major airport | Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR), about 139 km in a straight line |
| Map | View on OpenStreetMap ↗ |
Setting from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard); airport from OurAirports (public-domain data).
Climate
| Warmest month (Aug) | average high 24°C (74°F) |
|---|---|
| Coldest month (Dec) | average low 5°C (40°F) |
| Precipitation per year | 438 mm |
Month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 18° | 18° | 19° | 20° | 21° | 21° | 23° | 24° | 24° | 23° | 21° | 18° |
| Low °C | 5° | 6° | 8° | 9° | 11° | 12° | 14° | 14° | 13° | 10° | 7° | 5° |
| Rain mm | 98 | 98 | 79 | 23 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 32 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at the Santa Barbara Muni Ap, Ca Us weather station, about 1 km from campus. Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals.
Cost, admission rate, test-score ranges and earnings come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (retrieved 2026-11-11). SAT range adds the 25th/75th-percentile section scores, so it is approximate. Scorecard earnings are for federal-aid recipients.