Ranked by U.S. News as one of the Top 5 public universities in the nation and a Top 30 overall national university, the University of California—Santa Barbara now attracts six-figures worth of applications each and every year. As of 2022, the acceptance rate has dipped under 30% and it is extremely rare for UCSB to accept students that have less than a 4.0 and did not place in the top decile of their high school class.

In 2022-23, aspiring Gauchos now face a test-blind admissions process that requires near-perfect grades in a rigorous curriculum and exceptional essays. Given this tall order, the intent of this article is provide future UCSB applicants with the following:

  • UCSB’s Class of 2025 acceptance rate
  • SAT, ACT, GPA and class rank of accepted UC-Santa Barbara applicants
  • Admissions trends
  • The demographics of current UCSB undergraduates
  • UC-Santa Barbara’s yield rate
  • How UC-Santa Barbara’s admissions officers evaluate candidates
  • Tips for applying to UC-Santa Barbara
  • How to assess whether applying to UC-Santa Barbara is even worth the $70 application fee (for you)

Let’s begin with an examination of the most recent admissions data.

UC-Santa Barbara: Acceptance Rate – Class of 2025

UCSB received 105,647 applications for the Class of 2025 and admitted 30,823 of that group. This equates to an acceptance rate of 29%. The previous year, they received 90,963 applications and accepted 33,385 individuals which calculates to a 37% acceptance rate. The acceptance rate was 30% for the Class of 2023.

UC-Santa Barbara Admissions – SAT, ACT, Grades, Class Rank

The University of California System has adopted a test-blind policy and will not consider ACT or SAT scores in the admissions process. For the Class of 2025, the mid-50% GPA range was 4.10-4.29 and an astounding 100% of students placed in the top 10% of their graduating class.

Admissions Trends & Notes

  • 30% of incoming 2021-22 freshmen were first-generation students.
  • 28% of the Class of 2025 identify as underrepresented minority students.
  • Only 1.4% of entering students had lower than a 3.5 GPA in high school.
  • The average applicant to the Class of 2025 had a 3.99 GPA; the average accepted applicant had a 4.36.
  • Applications increased by 16% from the Class of 2024 to the Class of 2025.

Who Gets Into UC-Santa Barbara?

Let’s look at the demographics of UC-Santa Barbara undergraduates:

Most UC-Santa Barbara students hailed from the Golden State and paid in-state tuition. The total geographic breakdown is as follows.

  • Percent from other U.S. States (non-residents) – 12%
  • Percent from California: 75%
  • Percent International: 13%

Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown of the Class of 2025 is as follows:

  • Asian: 18%
  • Hispanic: 24%
  • African American: 4%
  • International: 13%
  • Caucasian: 31%

The breakdown by gender reveals an almost perfectly even split of male and female students.

  • Male: 39%
  • Female: 59%

UC-Santa Barbara’s Yield Rate

UC-Santa Barbara’s yield rate—the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted was 16%. This is lower than other UC campuses such as Irvine (20%), UCSD (17%), and UCLA (44%).

How UCSB Rates Applicants

There are only two factors that UC-Santa Barbara ranks as being “very important” to their admissions process: GPA and application essays. Class rank is the only area rated as “important”. Areas that are “considered” include: talent/ability character/personal qualities, extracurricular activities, volunteer experience, first-generation, state residency, volunteer work, and paid work experience.

As mentioned previously, UC-Santa Barbara, along with all other UC campuses are now test-blind. This makes the traditionally holistic review process at UC-Santa Barbara even more pronounced.

In the admissions office’s own words:

  • “UCSB considers 13 holistic review factors to review your achievements and personal qualities in the context of the opportunities and/or challenges you have experienced. We do not compare your application with any other applicant, regardless of school or location.”
  • “UCSB doesn’t just look at academic accomplishments to bring in our freshman class. We look at your extracurricular activities and accomplishments in light of the opportunities available to you.”

Tips for Applying to UC-Santa Barbara

If you plan on joining the 105,000+ Gaucho hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:

  • Davis does evaluate the number of UC-approved honors courses, AP courses, IB courses, or dual enrollment courses a student has taken.
  • Learn more about A-G Subject Requirements here.
  • While a holistic process, UC-Santa Barbara does not offer interviews.
  • UC-Santa Barbara does not consider “demonstrated interest” in the admissions process.
  • Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essays required by UC-Santa Barbara. In the 2022-23 cycle, there are eight total prompts, of which applicants are instructed to choose four to respond to. Each response is limited to maximum of 350 words.

UCSB Essay Prompts

1) Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.

2) Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. 

3) What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? 

4) Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

5) Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

6) Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

7) What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? 

8) Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

The best approach here is to select the four prompts that are the best fit for you and elicit the most compelling and personal responses. For more, read our blog: How to Master the UC Personal Insight Essays.

Should I Apply to UCSB?

Getting into UC-Santa Barbara has never been a more challenging endeavor, as it now requires near-perfect (or perfect) grades in 10+ honors/AP/IB courses. Even in-state applicants need to have pristine academic transcripts and other compelling attributes. As such, all students need to make sure that they formulate an appropriate college list, containing a complement of “target” and “safety” schools. You’ll definitely want to do this in collaboration with an admissions professional who is aware of the latest trends and strategies associated with your prospective colleges.