OSU vs. SBCC vs. UCSB vs. UCSD

Should I go to Oregon State University or Santa Barbara City College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if OSU or SBCC 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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Oregon State University vs. Santa Barbara City College vs. University of California Santa Barbara vs. University of California San Diego comparison
Oregon State University Santa Barbara City College University of California Santa Barbara University of California San Diego
Oregon State University Santa Barbara City College University of California Santa Barbara University of California San Diego
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Overview

 OSU SBCC UCSB UCSD
Location Corvallis, OR Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara, CA La Jolla, CA
Setting Small City Small City Midsize Suburban Large City
Enrollment 35,622 12,345 26,068 42,376
Type Public 4 Year Public 2 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #379 #112 #88
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website oregonstate.edu sbcc.edu ucsb.edu ucsd.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 OSU SBCC UCSB UCSD
Tuition (In State) $11,145 $1,104 $11,834 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $33,315 $9,528 $42,611 $42,611
Room & Board $15,075 $20,232 $18,684 $17,198
Avg Net Price $21,868 $12,883 $15,283 $13,293
Avg Grant Aid $9,922 $5,483 $21,732 $24,176
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 37% 50% 64%

Admission

 OSU SBCC UCSB UCSD
Applied 29,025 - 110,871 130,771
Admitted 22,886 - 30,804 32,062
Acceptance Rate 78.8% Open 27.8% 28.9%
Enrolled % 20.5% Open 16.4% 22.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 - 3.82 3.82
Typical High School Grades B+ - A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Unavailable Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High High
ACT Range 21/28 28/34 28/34
SAT Range 1120/1370 1230/1460 1270/1480
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2026 Aug 19, 2026 Nov 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

 OSU SBCC UCSB UCSD
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 35:1 17:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (15%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Work and Family Studies (11%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (54%)
  • General Studies (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Business (4%)
  • Social Sciences (3%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Biology (26%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • General Studies (8%)

Outcomes

 OSU SBCC UCSB UCSD
Graduation Rate 61% - 80% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,900 $40,400 $59,000 $67,900
Making Student Loan Payments 66% 39% 73% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,500 $9,500 $16,451 $18,500
Median Loan Payment $242 $98 $170 $191

Diversity

 OSU SBCC UCSB UCSD
% Men 7% 9% 6% 11%
% Women 8% 9% 5% 9%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High Very High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 67% 41% 35% 21%
% Black 1% 4% 2% 1%
% Hispanic 9% 33% 26% 16%
% Native American 1% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 5% 8% 5%
% International 6% 9% 7% 17%
% Unknown Race 2% 2% 3% 2%

Students

 OSU SBCC UCSB UCSD
% In-State 57% 80% 80% 79%
% Out-of-State 40% 0% 9% 10%

Campus

 OSU SBCC UCSB UCSD
Campus Housing Yes No Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes No Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Oregon State University is larger than than SBCC based on total student enrollment (35,622 students vs. 12,345 students)

OSU vs. SBCC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, OSU or SBCC?

  • Oregon State University is 909.5% more expensive to attend than SBCC for in-state tuition ($11,145.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 249.7% higher at OSU than Santa Barbara City College ($33,315.00 vs. $9,528.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Santa Barbara City College than OSU ($12,883 vs. $21,868)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Oregon State University are 34.2% lower than costs at Santa Barbara City College ($15,075 vs. $20,232)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Oregon State University than Santa Barbara City College (89% vs. 37%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Oregon State University students is 81% larger than aid received Santa Barbara City College ($9,922 vs. $5,483)

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

OSU vs. SBCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, OSU or SBCC? 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 SBCC and OSU.

  • Graduates from Oregon State University earn on average $13,500 more per year than SBCC graduates after ten years. ($53,900 vs. $40,400)
  • Santa Barbara City College students graduate with a $14,000 lower median federal student loan debt than OSU graduates. ($9,500 vs. $23,500)
  • SBCC graduates are paying $144 less per month on federal student loans than OSU graduates. ($98 vs. $242)
  • More OSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SBCC students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 39%)

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