UCSB vs. Purdue

Should I go to University of California Santa Barbara or Purdue University Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSB or Purdue 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 Santa Barbara vs. Purdue University Main Campus comparison
University of California Santa Barbara Purdue University Main Campus College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Barbara Purdue University Main Campus
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Overview

UCSB Purdue
Location Santa Barbara, CA West Lafayette, IN
Setting Midsize Suburban Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 26,420 51,528
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #109 #101
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu purdue.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB Purdue
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $9,718
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $28,520
Room & Board $16,883 $10,030
Avg Net Price $16,874 $12,576
Avg Grant Aid $20,389 $8,950
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 48%

Admission

UCSB Purdue
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,995 68,582
Admitted 28,688 36,146
Acceptance Rate 25.8% 52.7%
Enrolled % 17.3% 26.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.67
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 28/34 27/34
SAT Range 1230/1460 1200/1470
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023

Academics

UCSB Purdue
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)

Outcomes

UCSB Purdue
Graduation Rate 80% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $61,200
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $170 $222

Diversity

UCSB Purdue
% Men 45% 58%
% Women 55% 42%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 35% 65%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 26% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 2%
% International 7% 17%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

UCSB Purdue
% In-State 78% 46%
% Out-of-State 10% 44%

Campus

UCSB Purdue
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

  • Purdue University Main Campus is larger than than UCSB based on total student enrollment (51,528 students vs. 26,420 students)

UCSB vs. Purdue Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or Purdue?

  • University of California Santa Barbara is 19% more expensive to attend than Purdue for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $9,718.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 46% higher at UCSB than Purdue University Main Campus ($41,636.00 vs. $28,520.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Purdue University Main Campus than UCSB ($12,576 vs. $16,874)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Purdue University Main Campus are 68.3% lower than costs at University of California Santa Barbara ($10,030 vs. $16,883)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Barbara than Purdue University Main Campus (53% vs. 48%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Barbara students is 127.8% larger than aid received Purdue University Main Campus ($20,389 vs. $8,950)

UCSB vs. Purdue Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 17 points higher than at Purdue (1231)
  • Incoming UCSB students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Purdue (28)
  • Accepted freshman UCSB students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at Purdue (3.67)
  • Purdue has a higher acceptance rate (52.7%) than UCSB (25.8%)

UCSB vs. Purdue Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSB or Purdue? 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 Purdue and UCSB.

  • The graduation rate at UCSB is higher than Purdue University Main Campus (80% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from Purdue University Main Campus earn on average $2,200 more per year than UCSB graduates after ten years. ($61,200 vs. $59,000)
  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $5,049 lower median federal student loan debt than Purdue graduates. ($16,451 vs. $21,500)
  • UCSB graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than Purdue graduates. ($170 vs. $222)
  • More Purdue graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSB students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 73%)

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