UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) Acceptance Rate 2026: General & Residency

Below, we break down UCSB's acceptance rate by residency (in-state, out-of-state, and international), transfer status, and major, and compare it with every other UC campus.

What's UC Santa Barbara's acceptance rate? (2023-2026)

UCSB's overall first-year acceptance rate is 44.0% for fall 2026, up from 38.2% in fall 2025. Applications dipped slightly to 108,503, while admits rose by more than 5,600.

For more information on the timeline to apply to UC Santa Barbara, read our guide to UC application deadlines.

UCSB Acceptance Rate by Residency (Fall 2026)

California residents had the lowest first-year acceptance rate at UCSB in fall 2026: 34.6%. Out-of-state U.S. applicants were admitted at 63.9% and international applicants at 63.2%.

The gap is mostly about yield. Non-residents who are admitted enroll at much lower rates than Californians, so UCSB admits a higher volume of non-residents knowing that a substantial number of students will not enroll on campus. 

Why is this the case? Tuition rates are typically much higher for out-of-state students and exponentially higher for international students. This is true at every college, including UCSB. Some students cannot justify paying a high price to attend UCSB and may look at other, more affordable alternatives. 

What is UC Santa Barbara’s in-state acceptance rate?

UCSB's in-state acceptance rate is 34.6% for fall 2026, up from 32.1% in 2025. UCSB admitted 25,289 Californians, about 1,300 more than the year before, from a slightly smaller in-state pool.

As with the entire University of California (UC) system, California residents benefit from the largest number of available seats (thanks to mandated policies that protect California residents and their pathway to a UC campus). However, they also face the most competition, with the majority of applicants each year being domestic students.

What is UCSB's out-of-state acceptance rate?

UCSB's out-of-state acceptance rate is 63.9% for fall 2026: 10,403 admits from 16,290 U.S. applicants outside California. That is nearly 30 points higher than the in-state rate.

Despite a high acceptance rate, it’s still quite competitive for out-of-state students to gain admission to UCSB. This is due largely to the fact that the requirements for these students are much more stringent. There is a higher expectation for academics, more supplemental information required of students, and, in some cases, additional standardized tests that must be completed.

What is UCSB's international acceptance rate?

UCSB admitted 63.2% of international first-year applicants for fall 2026 (12,024 of 19,026). All non-residents combined were admitted at 63.5%.

What is UC Santa Barbara’s transfer acceptance rate?

UCSB admitted 61.4% of California-resident transfer applicants for fall 2026, compared with 28.6% of out-of-state U.S. transfer applicants. Californians have a clear edge as transfers, largely because UC prioritizes California Community College students.

Joel Ontiveros, former Assistant Director of Admission at UCLA and Collegewise Counselor, believes more families will consider the transfer route earlier.

"I think the transfer process to UC will become the standard process in the next 5 to 10 years. I'm talking to sophomore families who are already saying, 'We want these UC campuses, but if we don't get in, we're willing to go with the transfer process.' More and more families are realizing it's actually the more affordable option, the way the student becomes more independent, and knows exactly what they want for their academic major.”

UCSB is also one of the six UC campuses with a Transfer Admissions Guarantee (TAG) program. Meaning, California community college students who meet TAG requirements are guaranteed admission to UCSB in an eligible major.

“Some California students aren’t even aware of the TAG program until they finish high school, but I’ve been speaking with more juniors who are thinking strategically about their path to college. Many are already saying, ‘I’ll do two years at community college and then do the transfer admission guarantee to UC Santa Barbara.’ I think the UCs want that as well, especially with undergraduate numbers hitting all-time highs,” says Joel.

How does UCSB compare with other UC campuses?

UCSB is the fifth most selective UC campus overall (44.0%) and for California residents (34.6%).

The table below sorts campuses by overall fall 2026 acceptance rate.

Is UC Santa Barbara getting more selective?

Most of the increase went to non-residents. Their rate more than doubled from 27.2% in 2023 to 63.5% in 2026, while the in-state rate rose from 28.1% to 34.6%.

Still, a higher acceptance rate doesn't make UCSB an easy admit for Californians. The campus is still considered one of the more selective public campuses in the United States. Another way to look at this year's acceptance rates and the campus's selectivity is that UCSB rejected about two in three in-state applicants for fall 2026. 

Who gets accepted to UC Santa Barbara?

With the UC application deadline fast approaching, many students are asking themselves: Who gets accepted to UC Santa Barbara? UC Santa Barbara, along with the entire UC system, evaluates students based on 13 key factors, including A-G course completion, location and residency, and personal insight question (PIQ) responses.

Since going test-free, the weight of academic performance has never been greater, with students being expected to go beyond the minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement. Not only is UC Santa Barbara considering how well a student performs academically, but it also considers the kinds of courses that the student has taken. Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses and other academic opportunities offered to students are also considered by college admissions officers.

UC Santa Barbara also considers major selection and how well a student’s college application and high school performance speak to their interest and ability to study that particular major. This is particularly true for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students, as these majors tend to be the most competitive.

Frequently asked questions

No matter if a student is considering UC Santa Barbara for undergraduate or graduate studies, the campus is an excellent choice for many students. However, acceptance at UC Santa Barbara will require students to think strategically about how they hope to present themselves, with great focus on PIQs, activities, and academics.

The ideal time to start building college application components? Grade 9 is the sweet spot! This will give students ample time to explore their interests, take academic prerequisites, and establish a major they’re excited about. With this long runway, admission to UC Santa Barbara may be in the cards.

Collegewise has proudly supported 3,500+ students through the University of California admissions process, offering end-to-end college application support, essay coaching, extracurricular mentoring, and deadline management. Our counselors include former UC admissions officers and experts who understand exactly what UC Irvine looks for. Schedule a free consultation today.