UCSB vs. Whittier College

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

UCSB Whittier College
Location Santa Barbara, CA Whittier, CA
Setting Midsize Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 26,420 1,192
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #109 #273
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsb.edu whittier.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSB Whittier College
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $48,924
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $48,924
Room & Board $16,883 $15,623
Avg Net Price $16,874 $28,368
Avg Grant Aid $20,389 $34,623
% Receiving Grant Aid 53% 100%

Admission

UCSB Whittier College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 110,995 3,014
Admitted 28,688 2,274
Acceptance Rate 25.8% 75.4%
Enrolled % 17.3% 10.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.61
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Difficult
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 28/34 24/30
SAT Range 1230/1460 1140/1340
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

Academics

UCSB Whittier College
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

UCSB Whittier College
Graduation Rate 80% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $47,400
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,451 $25,500
Median Loan Payment $170 $263

Diversity

UCSB Whittier College
% Men 45% 44%
% Women 55% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 31%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 26% 44%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 4%
% International 7% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

UCSB Whittier College
% In-State 78% 64%
% Out-of-State 10% 27%

Campus

UCSB Whittier College
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

  • University of California Santa Barbara is larger than than Whittier College based on total student enrollment (26,420 students vs. 1,192 students)

UCSB vs. Whittier College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSB or Whittier College?

  • Whittier College is 323.1% more expensive to attend than UCSB for in-state tuition ($48,924.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.5% higher at Whittier College than University of California Santa Barbara ($48,924.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Barbara than Whittier College ($16,874 vs. $28,368)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Whittier College are 8.1% lower than costs at University of California Santa Barbara ($15,623 vs. $16,883)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Whittier College than University of California Santa Barbara (100% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Whittier College students is 69.8% larger than aid received University of California Santa Barbara ($34,623 vs. $20,389)

UCSB vs. Whittier College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 191 points higher than at Whittier College (1057)
  • Incoming UCSB students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Whittier College (23)
  • Accepted freshman UCSB students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at Whittier College (3.61)
  • Whittier College has a higher acceptance rate (75.4%) than UCSB (25.8%)

UCSB vs. Whittier College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSB or Whittier College? 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 Whittier College and UCSB.

  • The graduation rate at UCSB is higher than Whittier College (80% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Barbara earn on average $11,600 more per year than Whittier College graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $47,400)
  • University of California Santa Barbara students graduate with a $9,049 lower median federal student loan debt than Whittier College graduates. ($16,451 vs. $25,500)
  • UCSB graduates are paying $93 less per month on federal student loans than Whittier College graduates. ($170 vs. $263)
  • More UCSB graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Whittier College students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 69%)

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