UCSB vs. Virginia Tech

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

UCSB Virginia Tech
Location Santa Barbara, CA Blacksburg, VA
Setting Midsize Suburban Small City
Enrollment 26,420 38,170
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #109 #142
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu vt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB Virginia Tech
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $12,104
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $31,754
Room & Board $16,883 $12,680
Avg Net Price $16,874 $19,301
Avg Grant Aid $20,389 $7,649
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 57%

Admission

UCSB Virginia Tech
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,995 45,321
Admitted 28,688 25,825
Acceptance Rate 25.8% 57%
Enrolled % 17.3% 27.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.97
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 28/34 27/32
SAT Range 1230/1460 1240/1430
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

UCSB Virginia Tech
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)

Outcomes

UCSB Virginia Tech
Graduation Rate 80% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $65,000
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $23,966
Median Loan Payment $170 $247

Diversity

UCSB Virginia Tech
% Men 45% 57%
% Women 55% 43%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 35% 68%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 26% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 4%
% International 7% 6%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

UCSB Virginia Tech
% In-State 78% 64%
% Out-of-State 10% 32%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Tech is larger than than UCSB based on total student enrollment (38,170 students vs. 26,420 students)

UCSB vs. Virginia Tech Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or Virginia Tech?

  • Virginia Tech is 4.7% more expensive to attend than UCSB for in-state tuition ($12,104.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 31.1% higher at UCSB than Virginia Tech ($41,636.00 vs. $31,754.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Barbara than Virginia Tech ($16,874 vs. $19,301)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Tech are 33.1% lower than costs at University of California Santa Barbara ($12,680 vs. $16,883)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Virginia Tech than University of California Santa Barbara (57% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Barbara students is 166.6% larger than aid received Virginia Tech ($20,389 vs. $7,649)

UCSB vs. Virginia Tech Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 38 points higher than at Virginia Tech (1210)
  • Accepted freshman Virginia Tech students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at UCSB (3.82)
  • Virginia Tech has a higher acceptance rate (57%) than UCSB (25.8%)

UCSB vs. Virginia Tech Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSB or Virginia Tech? 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 Virginia Tech and UCSB.

  • The graduation rate at Virginia Tech is higher than University of California Santa Barbara (82% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Tech earn on average $6,000 more per year than UCSB graduates after ten years. ($65,000 vs. $59,000)
  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $7,515 lower median federal student loan debt than Virginia Tech graduates. ($16,451 vs. $23,966)
  • UCSB graduates are paying $77 less per month on federal student loans than Virginia Tech graduates. ($170 vs. $247)
  • More Virginia Tech graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSB students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 73%)

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