University of California, Santa Barbara
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UC Santa Barbara Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

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UC Santa Barbara Acceptance Rate
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One of the most prestigious universities in the world, University of California, Santa Barbara is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. UC Barbara is one of the best study abroad universities for international students as the UC Santa Barbara ranking has been consistent among the top 200 global universities for more than a decade now.

Students across the globe apply for UC Santa Barbara admissions. However, only a fraction of candidates secure an enrollment due to the competitive nature of the university.

University of California Santa Barbara Acceptance Rate 2025

The University of California, Santa Barbara received over 93,400 applications for the admission cycle of 2024-25, of which over 27,600 students were offered the opportunity to enroll at the UCSB campus. However, only 4,900 students decided to join the university. 

This suggests that the UC Santa Barbara acceptance rate stands around 29.6%, whereas the UC Santa Barbara yield rate is 17.9%. Thus, it can be concluded that the admission criteria of the university are rather selective.

Particulars 

Fall 2023 

Fall 2024 

Applicants 

110,876 

93,457 

Admitted Students 

30,805 

27,626 

Students Enrolled 

5,043 

4,935 

Acceptance Rate 

27.78% 

29.56% 

Yield Rate 

16.4% 

17.9% 

University of California Santa Barbara Acceptance Rate for International Students

Around 19% of the students that UC Santa Barbara admitted hailed from countries other than the U.S. This number of admitted international students stood around 5,248, and the number of countries represented by the international community is 107. The overall UCSB acceptance rate is around 29.6%. 

Particulars 

Headcount/Percentage 

International Students Admitted 

5,240 approx. 

Total Students Admitted 

27,626 

Percent of International Students Admitted 

19% 

Nations Represented 

107 

Acceptance Rate 

29.6% 

The number of international UG students (nonresident aliens) enrolled at UCSB was recorded to be over 3,200. The university also welcomes many other ethnicities and races to enroll at the UC Santa Barbara campus. 

Ethnic Backgrounds 

Undergraduate Students 

American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic 

45 

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic‏‏‎ ‏‏ 

59 

Race and/or ethnicity unknown 

319 

Black or African American, non-Hispanic 

492 

Two or more races, non-Hispanic 

1451 

Nonresident aliens 

3261 

Asian, non-Hispanic 

4551 

Hispanic/Latino 

6012 

White, non-Hispanic 

7159 

Total 

23349 

University of California Santa Barbara Admission Requirements for International Students

In order to secure an admission, all overseas applicants must fulfill certain UC Santa Barbara admission requirements listed below: 

Undergraduate Requirements

Graduate Requirements

- Official secondary school transcripts;

- Minimum high school GPA of 3.0;

- Proof of English language proficiency; and

- SAT/ACT scores (not mandatory).

- Four-year bachelor’s degree (or equivalent);

- Proof of English language proficiency;

- Minimum GPA of 3.4 on a 4.0 scale;

- GRE/GMAT scores;

- Resume/CV;

- Letter of recommendations (LOR); and

- Other course-specific requirements.

University of California Santa Barbara Average GPA, SAT & ACT Scores

In order to secure enrollment in UCSB, students can appear for one of the standardized tests (SAT/ACT). However, it is not mandatory as the university is test-optional. Listed below are the average scores obtained by the students admitted in Fall 2024: 

Entrance Exams 

Average Score Requirements 

SAT 

1360

ACT 

29

GPA 

4.18

Tips to Get Selected at the University of California Santa Barbara

UC Santa Barbara is one of the best universities to get into, and thus, students must submit exceptional academic grades as well as excel in co-curricular activities.

Fulfilling the required Grade Point Average is one of the major entry requirements at the university, and international students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 for undergraduate courses and 3.4 for postgraduate courses, in order to boost their chances of getting admitted in the university. Apart from fulfilling the academic qualifications, some of the best practices that students can follow include acquiring strong letters of recommendation, submission of high English language proficiency scores and standardized test scores.

University of California Santa Barbara Acceptance Rate Vs University of Texas at Austin Acceptance Rate

The University of Texas at Austin acceptance rate stands at 29%, which makes it a competitive university to get into. In comparison with the UC Santa Barbara acceptance rate of 29.6%, UT Austin can be considered slightlyless selective in their admission criteria. 

As listed, getting into UT Austin is selective. Hence, students must excel in academics in order to boost their chances. Apart from this, students who are outstanding in activities outside class also stand a good chance of securing admission.

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FAQs

Q:   What are some tips to get selected in the University of California, Santa Barbara?
A: 

University of California, Santa Barbara is one of the best universities to get into and thus, students must submit exceptional academic grades as well as excel in co-curricular activities. Fulfilling the required Grade Point Average is one of the major entry requirement at the university and international students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 for undergraduate courses and 3.4 for postgraduate courses, in order to boost their chances of getting admitted in the university. Apart from fulfilling the academic qualifications, some of the best practices that students can follow include acquiring strong letters of recommendations, submission of high English language proficiency scores and standardized test scores.

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Currently an English major at DU, I create content for study abroad universities on Shiksha. Besides writing, I also enjoy art and music.

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