University of california santa barbara transfer acceptance rate

If you are thinking about applying to UC Santa Barbara, the deadline for Fall 2023 admissions is November 30 and the application fee is $70.

Application fees can add up, but some colleges do have free applications and students who are struggling to afford application fees may qualify for for fee waiver for their application.

Students who apply to UC Santa Barbara for fall should receive an admissions decision no later than March 31.

UC Santa Barbara Admissions Stats at a Glance

The following is an overiew of some of UC Santa Barbara's admissions stats.

UC Santa Barbara 2022Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA 4.2
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class 100%
Admissions Test Policy Not optional and are not considered
Waitlist Yes

Continue scrolling for more information on UC Santa Barbara's admissions stats.

Considering Applying Early to UC Santa Barbara?

These are the early application deadlines for University of California, Santa Barbara.

Application TypeOfferedApplication DeadlineNotification Deadline
Early Decision I No –– ––
Early Decision II No –– ––
Early Action No –– ––

UC Santa Barbara does not offer early decision or early action.

Some students apply to college early because they believe it will help their chances. Early deadlines may increase the chance of being admitted, since applying early shows your are very interested in a school, and your application is being considered before all the regular decision applicants apply.

See a list of some selective colleges that admit significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

How To Get Into University of California, Santa Barbara

UC Santa Barbara is a very difficult school to get into.

In 2021, UC Santa Barbara accepted 29% of all applicants, around 30,823 of the 105,647 students who applied.

Schools that are very difficult to get into, like UC Santa Barbara, accept fewer than 60% of all applicants. At least 50% of all admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1230 on the SAT and over 26 on the ACT.

Transfer student admissions is very difficult.

In 2021, UC Santa Barbara waitlisted 14,076 students. Of those, 9,762 eventually received an admissions offer.

What's Most Important for Getting Into UC Santa Barbara?

Colleges consider a range of factors when choosing who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college determines which factors are they consider most important when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When creating your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and apply to colleges that put the most emphasis the admissions factors where you're strong.

Admissions Factors at UC Santa Barbara

Curious about the factors that are considered by UC Santa Barbara during the admissions process? Listed below are factors commonly taken into consideration during admissions decisions.

Admissions FactorLevel
Application Essay Very Important
Academic GPA Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record Important
Character/Personal Qualities Considered
Extracurricular Activities Considered
Geographical Residence Considered
State Residency Considered
Talent/Ability Considered
Volunteer Work Considered
Work Experience Considered
First Generation Considered

Make sure to check with UC Santa Barbara for more information on admission factors.

UC Santa Barbara Application Requirements

To apply, all applicants to UC Santa Barbara must submit the following items. Double check with UC Santa Barbara's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

AreaRequiredRecommendedRequired for SomeDetails (If Any)
Interview
Transcript(S) of College Record
Standardized Test Scores
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)
Written Essay or Personal Statement
Transcript of High School Record

What GPA Do I Need To Get Into UC Santa Barbara?

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that reflects your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. 4.0. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Students admitted to UC Santa Barbara have an average unweighted GPA of 4.2

Out of all students that were admitted, 65% submitted a class rank. At UC Santa Barbara 100% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 100% were in the top 25% and 100% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At University of California, Santa Barbara, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPAPercent of Students
4.0 GPA ––
3.75 and 3.99 8.63%
3.50 and 3.74 3.09%
3.25 and 3.49 0.95%
3.00 and 3.24 0.32%
2.50 and 2.9 0.06%
2.00 and 2.49 0.02%

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

UC Santa Barbara doesn't consider ACT or SAT scores as part of the admissions process.

UC Santa Barbara is not test optional. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

Transferring to University of California, Santa Barbara

For transfer students, it is very difficult to get admitted to UC Santa Barbara.

For transfer students wishing to start in the Fall, the deadline to apply is November 30. Applicants should hear back by March 15.

Transfer students can enroll in UC Santa Barbara during the following terms:

• Fall Term


UC Santa Barbara Admissions FAQs


Can I defer my acceptance to UC Santa Barbara?

❌ Students who are admitted to UC Santa Barbara must attend in the term they start. Deferring admissions is not encouraged. If you have a unusual circumstance, contact the admissions department.

Does UC Santa Barbara accept transfer credits?

✅ UC Santa Barbara accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

Does UC Santa Barbara accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ UC Santa Barbara accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to UC Santa Barbara?

✅ UC Santa Barbara is not test optional. Test scores will not be considered during the admissions process, even if you submit them.

What is UC Santa Barbara's acceptance rate?

✅ UC Santa Barbara's acceptance rate is 29%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at UC Santa Barbara?

❌ UC Santa Barbara does not offer early decision.

What is the early action acceptance rate at UC Santa Barbara?

❌ UC Santa Barbara does not offer eary action.

Want To Learn More About UC Santa Barbara?

Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

Overview

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

Connect with other students, parents, and admissions professionals to learn more about about UC Santa Barbara in the College Confidential forums

Explore other colleges in California or use the college admissions predictor to calculate your chances of getting into some of the top colleges and universities in the U.S.

What GPA do you need to transfer to UCSB?

Complete 60 semester or 90 quarter units of UC-transferable college credit with a grade point average of at least 2.4 for California residents and at least 2.8 for nonresidents (no more than 14 semester or 21 quarter units may be taken Pass/Not Pass*). A selective GPA for most majors is a 3.4 and above.

Which UC has the highest transfer acceptance rate?

University of California – Davis (Davis, CA) UC Davis has the best acceptance rate among University of California schools for transfer students, accepting 56 out of every 100 transfer applicants.

Is it easier to get into UCLA as a transfer?

UCLA is committed to being a transfer-friendly institution. Strong academic preparation and performance make you a more competitive candidate during the admission review process. The average GPA of admitted transfer students is above 3.5, and admitted students have completed most or all major preparatory courses.

Can I transfer to UCSB as a freshman?

UCSB only accepts transfer students at the junior level (between 60-89 semester units or 90-134 quarter units).