UC Riverside vs. UCSB

Should I go to University of California Riverside or University of California Santa Barbara? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Riverside or UCSB is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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University of California Riverside vs. University of California Santa Barbara comparison
University of California Riverside University of California Santa Barbara College 3 College 4
University of California Riverside University of California Santa Barbara
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Overview

UC Riverside UCSB
Location Riverside, CA Santa Barbara, CA
Setting Large City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 26,809 26,420
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #109
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu ucsb.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Riverside UCSB
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,333 $16,883
Avg Net Price $14,487 $16,874
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $20,389
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 53%

Admission

UC Riverside UCSB
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 110,995
Admitted 37,563 28,688
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 25.8%
Enrolled % 14.8% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 22/31 28/34
SAT Range 1080/1280 1230/1460
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

UC Riverside UCSB
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

UC Riverside UCSB
Graduation Rate 67% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $59,000
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $16,451
Median Loan Payment $197 $170

Diversity

UC Riverside UCSB
% Men 49% 45%
% Women 51% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 35%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 36% 26%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 8%
% International 4% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

UC Riverside UCSB
% In-State 94% 78%
% Out-of-State 2% 10%

Campus

UC Riverside UCSB
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Riverside is larger than than UCSB based on total student enrollment (26,809 students vs. 26,420 students)

UC Riverside vs. UCSB Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or UCSB?

  • University of California Riverside and UCSB cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UC Riverside as University of California Santa Barbara ($41,636.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than UCSB ($14,487 vs. $16,874)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Barbara are 2.7% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($16,883 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than University of California Santa Barbara (75% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 8.1% larger than aid received University of California Santa Barbara ($22,042 vs. $20,389)

UC Riverside vs. UCSB Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UC Riverside or UCSB? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UCSB or UC Riverside .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 129 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming UCSB students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UC Riverside (26)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at UCSB (3.82)
  • UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (68.7%) than UCSB (25.8%)

UC Riverside vs. UCSB Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside or UCSB? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UCSB and UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at UCSB is higher than University of California Riverside (80% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Barbara earn on average $6,800 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $52,200)
  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $2,658 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Riverside graduates. ($16,451 vs. $19,109)
  • UCSB graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than UC Riverside graduates. ($170 vs. $197)
  • More UCSB graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/