University of California--Santa Barbara

University of California--Santa Barbara is a public institution that was founded in 1909. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 20,238, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 989 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. University of California--Santa Barbara's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 37. Its in-state tuition and fees are $13,865 (2015-16); out-of-state tuition and fees are $38,573 (2015-16).

Located 100 miles up the coast from Los Angeles, the University of California—Santa Barbara sits atop cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Students can get involved in any o

f the more than 400 clubs and organizations on campus, including a Greek community that comprises about 10 percent of undergraduate students. UCSB provides housing to about 30 percent of students in eight residence halls and several university apartment complexes.The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos compete primarily in the NCAA Division I Big West Conference and are known for their successful women’s basketball and men’s soccer teams. Non-varsity students can join a club team such as cycling, surfing, rugby or ski and snowboard.

UCSB encompasses five schools and colleges, the largest of which is the College of Letters and Science, serving undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate programs at UCSB include the highly ranked College of Engineering. The Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management are other notable graduate schools at UCSB. Undergraduate students can apply for admissions into the College of Creative Studies, which emphasizes focused studies in one of eight disciplines: art, biology, chemistry and biochemistry, computer science, literature, mathematics, music composition or physics. Musician Jack Johnson and actor Michael Douglas both graduated from UCSB.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

The mission of UCSB is defined in the context of the unique stature of the University of California and the place of the Santa Barbara campus within this system. Our responsibilities include provision of high-quality education to undergraduate and graduate students, innovation through the advancement of fundamental and applied research programs, creative activities and scholarship, and provision of service to the state as well as the nation and world that we share. In each of these three areas, our mission is to fulfill these responsibilities with the highest possible level of excellence in a manner that emphasizes the special abilities associated with our campus through its faculty, students, facilities, and geographic location. Hide