University of California, Santa Barbara Campus Life: Photos, Videos, Facilities

Established in 1891, the University of California Santa Barbara is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California. UCSB is part of the prestigious University of California system. Its campus is spread across 1,127 acres of area in midsize suburbs.

UC Santa Barbara Campus Overview

The University of California at Santa Barbara is one of the leading research universities that also provides a comprehensive Liberal Arts learning experience. Co-curricular activities play an important role in the quality of life at the university. The university has 500 student organizations that make UC Santa Barbara culturally enriching and socially engaging. Check below for more details about the campus life of the university:

• Student Union: The UCSB student union is known as the University Center. It offers excellent and accessible services to the campus community. UCen houses the Associated Students, Graduate Student Association, MultiCultural Center & Theater, and the University & Community Housing Office.
• Housing: The University of California, Santa Barbara offers a variety of housing and accommodation options through its eight residence halls and eight apartment complexes.
• Career Services: UCSB Career Services helps their students gain knowledge of their occupational goals and attain relevant career competencies and experiences.

UC Santa Barbara Student Enrollment

As of Fall 2024, the total number of undergraduates enrolled at UCSB was over 23,000, and the number of graduates was over 2,900. The total number of students at the UC Santa Barbara campus was recorded to be over 26,000. As per an unofficial source, around 10% of the student body accounts for the international students at UCSB, hailing from 107 different countries. 

UC Santa Barbara Athletics

The University of California, Santa Barbara, offers a variety of academic athletics and sports programs throughout the academic year and during summer. Every year, more than 12,000 students participate in various intramural sports at UC Santa Barbara. Intramural sports at UCSB include: Basketball, Flag Football, Futsal, Soccer, Indoor Volleyball, and Softball. The intercollegiate athletic teams at UC Santa Barbara are also referred to as the UCSB Gauchos and compete in 19 NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports. The mascot of the university is named Olé.

UC Santa Barbara Top Courses

When it comes to UCSB courses, UC Santa Barbara offers over 200 majors, degrees & credentials for the students to choose from. The university’s average freshman retention rate is 92% whereas UC Santa Barbara acceptance rate is 29.5%. Some of the popular majors at the UCSB campus, along with their respective percentages of degree recipients from bachelor's and master's programs, are given below: 

Also read UC Santa Barbara Rankings

UC Santa Barbara Accommodation

The University of California, Santa Barbara offers a variety of housing and accommodation options across its eight residence halls and eight apartments. The university’s residence halls include high- and low-rise buildings with spectacular ocean, lagoon, and mountain views. UC Santa Barbara accommodations offer various facilities such as utilities, high-speed internet, regular housekeeping, on-site laundry facilities, 24-hour on-call maintenance, and live-in staff. Check below for housing costs for international students:

Undergraduate Apartments Cost 2025-26:

Graduate Apartments Cost 2025-26:

*USD/INR = 85.59