Master of Science in Computer Science 

at UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara

University of California Santa Barbara is surely one of the toughest universities to get into. The University of California Santa Barbara has just an acceptance rate of 29%, which means only wenty nine students can get into the university out of hundreds. Hence it could be difficult for a mediocre or an average student to get into the University of California Santa Barbara. However, it’s not impossible. The basic requirement the university asks for is a GPA of  3.4 or a GPA or above from an accredited university and a good ELP score. Lastly, the University of California Santa Barbara takes a holistic approach and doesn’t just consider marks but sees multiple factors in the student's profile. These factors include Leadership, Work experience, essays, LOR and interviews that the students give during their admission process. 

The UC Santa Barbara courses comprise 200 majors, over 90 undergraduates, and more than 50 graduate programs. Some popular majors and programs are Environmental Science and Management, Economics, Chemistry, Materials, Statistics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Marine Science, Applied Mathematics, Environmental Data Science, Technology Management, and more. Some of the competitive majors are:

• Economics
• Sociology
• Communications
• Psychology
• Biology
• Environmental Science

No. The University of California, Santa Barbara does not select candidates based on the ACT or SAT scores, even if submitted. The university prioritizes several other things, such as rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, application essay, and more. To improve their selection chances, students must focus on their academics and aim to score a high GPA along with fulfilling the basic eligibility.

The University of California Santa Barbara has an acceptance rate of around 29% for international students.The university Admission process involves a thorough evaluation process, Considering academic excellence, essays, Letter of recommendation, SOP, extracurricular activities and many more. Applicants are suggested to approach the admission process with utter dedication, showcasing their strengths and talents to get into UCSB. Beyond the numerical, the university is a good choice for pursuing courses and degrees with an exceptional education and renowned faculty. 

The University of California Santa Barbara offers housing options for students, both on and off-campus. These accommodations include residence halls, apartments for both undergraduate and graduate students, and faculty housing. The residence halls are equipped with essential amenities such as beds, internet access, furniture, tables, bathrooms, and a communal kitchen. The university provides housing services and residential support for both undergraduate and graduate students. All apartments feature private lockable bedrooms and come fully furnished. Each bedroom is carpeted and includes an extra-long full-size bed, a closet, a bookcase, a drawer, and a desk with a chair for each student. The cost of accomodations at University of California, Santa Barbara are given below:

Some of the top ranking courses at UCSB, along with the percentage of degrees awarded as per an unofficial source is given below:

The University of California, Santa Barbara, evaluates applications based on the students' academic performance, involvement in relevant extracurricular activities, personal insight responses, and life experiences. Some of the factors considered by the university while selecting UG and PG candidates, along with the level of importance, are given below:

The 2025-26 housing cost for UCSB for on-campus housing are given below:

Graduate Housing cost 2025-26:

USD/INR = 85.59 

As per an unofficial source, the UCSB acceptance rate is 28%, which shows extremely tough selection chances. The official website states that the university considers various factors on which students must focus to improve their chances. Some of them are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, application essay, and more. This all can be achievable only if students excel in academics and score well throughout their studies. The 2024-2025 official statistics show over 1.1 L applications were received of which only 5,008 first-year students got enrolled.

While the tier status of the university as a whole is unknown, the University of California Santa Barbara is among a select number of "R1 institutions" in the United States for research. 

R1 is used to refer those institutions that are known for conducting a very high volume of research work over the course of an academic year, with a large chunk of the budget, also invested to the institute's research work.

The "R1" tag is granted by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.