Admissions Factors

What UC Santa Barbara Looks For

UC Santa Barbara rates 2 factors as very important: academic GPA and application essay.

How UC Santa Barbara rates each factor

Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.

Very important

Important

Rigor of high school courses

Considered

Not considered

The numbers behind the class

Overall admit rate

38.2%

42,093 of 110,187 applicants

Early decision admit rate

No early decision

Admitted from the waitlist

53.3%

9,603 of 18,022 who stayed on it

Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 4.29.

Email me what UC Santa Barbara looks for

A link to this page, plus the comparison table for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

What does UC Santa Barbara look for in applicants?

UC Santa Barbara rates 2 factors as very important: academic GPA and application essay.

Does UC Santa Barbara consider legacy status?

UC Santa Barbara rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.

Does UC Santa Barbara track demonstrated interest?

UC Santa Barbara rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".

What is UC Santa Barbara's waitlist acceptance rate?

18,022 students stayed on the waitlist and 9,603 were admitted, a rate of 53.3%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.

Source: UC Santa Barbara’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.