Real costs by school · Santa Barbara, CA · Public
At University of California-Santa Barbara, families earning $75,000–$110,000 paid an average of $17,136 per year — the published cost of attendance is $41,573. (Federal College Scorecard data, July 2026 refresh.)
| Household income | Avg net price / yr | ≈ four years* |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30k | $9,231 / yr | $38,909 |
| $30–48k | $9,992 / yr | $42,116 |
| $48–75k | $12,588 / yr | $53,058 |
| $75–110k | $17,136 / yr | $72,228 |
| Over $110k | $31,863 / yr | $134,303 |
*Four-year figures grow each year's price by 3.5% — the same method College Compass uses in a family's plan. "Net price" is what families actually paid after grants and scholarships, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education — not a calculator's estimate. Federal reporting groups every income above $110k into one band; families well above it often pay closer to the full cost.
FAFSA deadlines for 2027–28, state by state →
The brag sheet: what to hand a teacher before asking for a recommendation →
| Admit rate | 32% in-state · 55% out-of-state — the school's own Common Data Set |
|---|---|
| Merit | 5% of no-need freshmen · avg $11,666 — the school's own Common Data Set |
| Paperwork | 4 extra essays — school-verified Aug 2026 |
Nine questions, then University of California's odds for your student with the math shown — plus your income band's price and its deadlines. First three schools free.
Run University of California for your student →At $75,000–$110,000 of household income, the distance between University of California-Santa Barbara's published sticker price and what families in that band actually paid is $24,437 a year — a 59% discount off the number on the brochure. That ranks it 22nd lowest of the 24 California schools on this site at that income. Graduates report a median $74,915 10 years out — roughly 1.0× the four-year cost at this income band.
Earnings and completion from federal reporting — not the school's own placement survey.
These are averages. Your family isn't average.
Run University of California-Santa Barbara against your student's real GPA, your income band, and your actual high school — odds with the math shown, the paperwork it requires, and its deadlines on one plan. First three schools free.
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