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University of California, Santa Barbara

university of california

The University of California at Santa Barbara is a public research university offering 87 undergraduate degrees and 55 graduate degrees. The school was ranked #8 among public universities by U.S. News & World Report and ranked #21 worldwide by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and #33 worldwide by the Academic Ranking of World Universities.

Fast Facts

  • College Type: Public
  • Program Type: 4-Year University
  • College Size: Large (over 5,000 students)
  • Campus Setting: Rural

UC Santa Barbara is designed as a "very high activity" research university, spending in excess of $191 million on research expenditures, The school houses 12 national research centers, including the renowned Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. Its faculty includes numerous Nobel Prize winners, as well as members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.


The school’s athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I Big West Conference. Its men’s soccer and men’s water polo teams have won NCAA national championships.