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🇺🇸Santa Barbara, CA, United States·Est. 1909Public

University of California, Santa Barbara

Physics & materials science

Global rank#143
shortlist
Ranking source comparison
SourceScore
QS66 out of 100
THE72 out of 100
USC72 out of 100
USG70 out of 100
ARWU65 out of 100
CWUR70 out of 100
Niche0 out of 100
Leiden0 out of 100
90.4
aggregate score · 6 sources
QS World University Rankings
2024 edition
151–200
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
2024 edition
151–175
US News Best Colleges (National Universities)
2024 edition
#35
US News Best Global Universities
2023–24 edition
151–200
Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking)
2023 edition
101–150
Center for World University Rankings
2024 edition
151–200
Niche Best Colleges
2024 edition
Unranked
CWTS Leiden Ranking
2024 edition
Unranked

Ranking history

Real snapshots recorded each time this dataset is refreshed — never backfilled or estimated.

Ranking history over time
DateRankScore
August 3, 2026#14390.4
August 4, 2026#14390.4
August 5, 2026#14390.4
August 6, 2026#14390.4
August 7, 2026#14390.4
August 10, 2026#14390.4
August 15, 2026#14390.4
August 17, 2026#14390.4
August 20, 2026#14390.4

Admissions

Test-free — scores not considered(fall 2026 entry)

Most recently published acceptance rate and enrolled-student score ranges. SAT/ACT and GPA are US-specific admissions measures, so they're only shown where applicable.

Applications / year
95,000
Acceptance rate
26%
SAT (25th–75th)
1280–1480
ACT (25th–75th)
27–33
Avg. GPA
3.90

Campus & outcomes

Class size, graduation and freshman retention rates, sticker tuition vs. what students actually pay after aid, how many receive it, post-graduation employment, research output, and a few real, commonly-cited top recruiters. Everything except ratio and enrollment is US-specific or approximate — papers/year and top employers in particular are rounded/illustrative, not exhaustive or precise database exports. Earnings figures and what they imply against cost are in their own section below.

Student : faculty
18:1
Undergrads
23,600
Grad rate (6-yr)
87%
Tuition (in-state)
$14,343
Tuition (out-of-state)
$44,128
Avg. net price
$16,000
Employed within 6mo
87%
Papers/year (approx.)
6,000
Classes under 20
50%
Freshman retention
93%
Receiving aid
50%
Where grads work
AmazonGoogleNorthrop GrummanDeloitte

Earnings after graduation

Median earnings for this institution's graduates (2024–25 published figures) and what they imply against its cost. US-reported figures — the concept doesn't translate for universities outside the US, which is why they show nothing here.

Early career
$65,000
Median, roughly 0–5 years out
Mid career
$125,000
Median, roughly 10 years out · +92% growth
Cost payback
1.0 yr
Years of early-career median equal to $64,000 of 4-year net cost
Value score 2.0× — one year of mid-career median covers 2.0× the full 4-year net cost+92% early-to-mid career growth

How to read these numbers

  • Medians, not averages, and not your salary. Half of graduates earn less. The spread within a single university is far wider than the gap between most universities.
  • Institution-wide, across all majors. Much of the difference between two universities' figures reflects what their students study — an engineering-heavy institute out-earns a liberal arts college largely through major mix, not teaching quality. Per-major earnings aren't in this dataset; the US federal College Scorecard publishes them for US federal-aid recipients.
  • Geography and selectivity are baked in. Graduates often work near where they studied, so regional cost of living inflates or deflates these figures, and selective intakes would earn well regardless of where they enrolled.
  • Payback is arithmetic, not a plan. It divides 4-year net price by early-career median and ignores aid you personally receive, loan interest, taxes and living costs.

Subject strengths

An Analects Proverbs editorial estimate — derived from this university's specialty and overall standing, not pulled from a named subject ranking.

Ranking source comparison
SourceScore
CS82 out of 100
Eng100 out of 100
Business83 out of 100
Medicine81 out of 100
Law82 out of 100
Sciences93 out of 100
Social86 out of 100
Arts80 out of 100
Strongest in
EngineeringNatural SciencesSocial Sciences
Computer Science
Engineering
Business
Medicine
Law & Policy
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Arts & Humanities

Similar universities

Close in overall rank, and weighted toward the same country and type — a starting point for students who like University of California, Santa Barbara but want options to compare.

Frequently asked questions

What is University of California, Santa Barbara's ranking?

University of California, Santa Barbara ranks #143 on Analects Proverbs's combined score of 90.4/100, aggregated across 6 major published rankings.

What is University of California, Santa Barbara known for?

Physics & materials science. Its strongest subject areas, by our editorial estimate, are Engineering, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences.

What is University of California, Santa Barbara's acceptance rate?

University of California, Santa Barbara's acceptance rate is approximately 26%, based on the most recently published admissions cycle.

What SAT or ACT scores does University of California, Santa Barbara expect?

Enrolled students typically score in the 1280–1480 range on the SAT, or 27–33 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile, most recent published cycle).

How much does it cost to attend University of California, Santa Barbara?

University of California, Santa Barbara's published annual tuition is approximately $14,343, though the average net price after institutional aid is closer to $16,000 per year.

What is University of California, Santa Barbara's graduation rate?

University of California, Santa Barbara's published 6-year graduation rate is approximately 87%.

What do University of California, Santa Barbara graduates typically earn?

Early-career graduates report a median starting salary of around $65,000, rising to roughly $125,000 at mid-career.