UC Irvine vs. UC Santa Barbara Overview
You’re wrestling with a tough question: “Should I go to UCI or UCSB?“
UC Irvine
UC Santa Barbara
Can you get in?
Calculate Your ChancesCan you get in?
Calculate Your ChancesThis complete guide analyzes both the quantitative and qualitative differences between UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara . This comparison is particularly valuable at understanding the cultural nuances between the colleges since it uses student videos to capture the “vibes” of campus - these videos are exclusively available on CampusReel :)
Differences between UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s go through a general overview of the high-level differences between UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara . The table below summarizes some of the most important statistics around competitiveness, costs, etc.
| UC Irvine | UC Santa Barbara | |
|---|---|---|
| In-state Tuition | $13,252 | $13,968 |
| Net Price | $13,648 | $14,767 |
| Average Financial Aid | $8,141 | $9,193 |
| Total Undergraduates | 25245 | 20606 |
| Average SAT Scores | 1030 - 1290 | 1090 - 1360 |
| Acceptance Rate | 39 | 33 |
| Location | 501 Aldrich Hall | 5221 Cheadle Hall |
| City Name | Irvine | Santa Barbara |
WARNINGS: Based on net price alone, UC Irvine is the cheaper option. However, this sticker price may not adequately represent the difference in living costs between Irvine and Santa Barbara. UCI is in a Mountain and UCSB is in a Mountain - sometimes off campus meals and housing costs can dramatically vary between schools
Is UC Irvine or UC Santa Barbara Harder to get into? Which school is easier to get into?
If you’re looking at acceptance rate alone, then UC Santa Barbara is more difficult to get into. However, each college is looking to fill its incoming class with a variety of students with different strengths, backgrounds, etc.
Therefore, the acceptance rate alone is not a good indicator that UC Santa Barbara is a better school or will be more difficult for you specifically to get into. On the flipside, UC Irvine is easier to get into based on acceptance rate alone.
You can use the below college admissions predictor to determine your likelihood of acceptance at either school.
How Do UCI Dorms Compare to housing Options at UCSB?
Both colleges provide on-campus living options. UCI charges for on-campus living, while UCSB charges N/A for on-campus living. Most importantly, though, check out the video below for a sample of dorm tours at each school.
UCI and UCSB student body differences
The table below helps demonstrate the student body differences as well.
| UC Irvine , % | UCSB,% | |
|---|---|---|
| White | 14.93 | 34.54 |
| Hispanic | 25.03 | 25.7 |
| Black | 1.8499999999999999 | 2.19 |
| Foreign | 15.72 | 7.06 |
| Others | 42.5 | 30.5 |
How different is the UC Irvine campus compared to UC Santa Barbara campus?
The UCI campus is located in Irvine, CA and is characterized as City: Midsize (population of at least 100,000 but less than 250,000). The UCSB campus is located in Santa Barbara, CA and is characterized as Suburb: Midsize (outside principal city, in urbanized area with population of at least 100,000 but less than 250,000).
Which school gives more financial aid?
UCI provides $8,141 whereas UCSB provides an average of $9,193.
How does UCI academics compare to UCSB?
When analyzing academics between UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara we’ll look at both what current students are studying and also where they end up after graduation. After all, college should prepare you for a career! Analyzing each school’s outcomes is super valuable to understand the value of the degree.
| Majors | UCI | UCSB |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture agriculture operations and related sciences | N/A | N/A |
| Natural resources and conservation | 29 | 286 |
| Architecture and related services | N/A | N/A |
| Area ethnic cultural gender and group studies | 57 | 98 |
| Communication journalism and related programs | 29 | 327 |
| Computer and information sciences and support services | 543 | 102 |
| Communications technologies technicians and support services | N/A | N/A |
| Personal and culinary services | N/A | N/A |
| Engineering | 813 | 222 |
| Education | 306 | N/A |
| Engineering technologies and engineering related fields | N/A | N/A |
Which is better: UC Irvine or UC Santa Barbara ?
We’ve compared dorm life, costs, outcomes and more to provide the most complete comparison between UCI and UCSB. But, you’re smart enough to know that numbers paint a terrible picture for truly understanding what each college and community is like. And, the real answer to which school is better is: the school that’s right for you. No matter who you ask, if they know what they’re talking about, the answer is the same: the “better” school is whatever is the best fit for you personally. That’s why it’s extremely important to check out all the videos on CampusReel for each school.
How does UCI social life compare to UCSB?
It’s tough to understand the nuances of social life with data alone. That’s why we’ve brought in real student videos to show how UCI social life differs from UCSB.
Check here.
Check here.