UCSB vs. UW-Seattle

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

UCSB UW-Seattle
Location Santa Barbara, CA Seattle, WA
Setting Midsize Suburban Large City
Enrollment 26,420 52,319
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #109 #87
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu washington.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB UW-Seattle
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,189
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $39,687
Room & Board $16,883 $16,068
Avg Net Price $16,874 $10,603
Avg Grant Aid $20,389 $14,731
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 44%

Admission

UCSB UW-Seattle
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,995 52,488
Admitted 28,688 24,942
Acceptance Rate 25.8% 47.5%
Enrolled % 17.3% 29.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 28/34 27/33
SAT Range 1230/1460 1200/1453
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 16, 2023

Academics

UCSB UW-Seattle
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

UCSB UW-Seattle
Graduation Rate 80% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $170 $155

Diversity

UCSB UW-Seattle
% Men 45% 47%
% Women 55% 53%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 42%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 26% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 7%
% International 7% 15%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

UCSB UW-Seattle
% In-State 78% 60%
% Out-of-State 10% 24%

Campus

UCSB UW-Seattle
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Washington Seattle Campus is larger than than UCSB based on total student enrollment (52,319 students vs. 26,420 students)

UCSB vs. UW-Seattle Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or UW-Seattle?

  • University of California Santa Barbara is 3.4% more expensive to attend than UW-Seattle for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,189.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.9% higher at UCSB than University of Washington Seattle Campus ($41,636.00 vs. $39,687.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Washington Seattle Campus than UCSB ($10,603 vs. $16,874)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Washington Seattle Campus are 5.1% lower than costs at University of California Santa Barbara ($16,068 vs. $16,883)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Barbara than University of Washington Seattle Campus (53% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Barbara students is 38.4% larger than aid received University of Washington Seattle Campus ($20,389 vs. $14,731)

UCSB vs. UW-Seattle Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Washington Seattle Campus (1258) is 10 points higher than at UCSB (1248)
  • Incoming UCSB students have at the same average ACT score (29) as students at UW-Seattle (29)
  • Accepted freshman UCSB students have at the same average high school GPA (3.82) as students at UW-Seattle (3.82)
  • UW-Seattle has a higher acceptance rate (47.5%) than UCSB (25.8%)

UCSB vs. UW-Seattle Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSB or UW-Seattle? 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 UW-Seattle and UCSB.

  • The graduation rate at UCSB is the same as at University of Washington Seattle Campus (80% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from University of Washington Seattle Campus earn on average $6,800 more per year than UCSB graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $59,000)
  • University of Washington Seattle Campus students graduate with a $1,451 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSB graduates. ($15,000 vs. $16,451)
  • UW-Seattle graduates are paying $15 less per month on federal student loans than UCSB graduates. ($155 vs. $170)
  • More UW-Seattle graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSB students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 73%)

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