A new way to tour UCSB
A typical UC Santa Barbara tour can feel impersonal, leaving you with more questions than answers. You’re just a face in the crowd following a scripted tour led by a guide the school assigns you.
SchoolScoops offers private University of California, Santa Barbara tours tailored to your interests. Choose your own UCSB student tour guide and enjoy a personalized campus visit where you'll get candid answers to your questions.
SchoolScoops is the more personal way to tour UC Santa Barbara
Private and personalized UCSB tours
On a traditional UC Santa Barbara campus tour you’re just a number in a big group. With SchoolScoops, you can book a private University of California, Santa Barbara tour led by a real UCSB student, giving you a personalized campus visit and the chance to ask all the questions that are important to you.
Choose your own tour guide
Unlike a traditional UC Santa Barbara campus tour, SchoolScoops lets you choose your own tour guide. Whether you want to meet an engineering major, a student-athlete or a fellow transfer student, you'll get authentic insights and advice from someone who truly gets you.
No scripts, just scoops
Traditional UC Santa Barbara campus tours are essentially a sales pitch—the tour guide works for the school and their job is to show you the highlights. SchoolScoops guides don’t work for their school, so there’s no sales pitch—just honest, unfiltered advice about the UCSB experience.
Find out if UCSB is the school for you
Choosing where to go to college is a major decision and a huge investment. A private UCSB tour helps you decide if UC Santa Barbara is the right fit for your academic goals, career ambitions and college experience.
Can't make it to campus?
Book a 1-on-1 video chat with a UCSB student for personalized insights. Learn about academics, campus culture, and Santa Barbara life without leaving home.
Book a video chat
Real feedback on student-led campus tours
Get to know University of California, Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara is a leading public research university known for excellence in the sciences, engineering, environmental studies, and the arts, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, groundbreaking research, and a unique coastal campus that fosters collaboration, innovation, and community engagement.
Overview
UC Santa Barbara, founded in 1909, is a public research university located in Santa Barbara, California. It offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs across multiple colleges and schools. A UC Santa Barbara campus tour highlights the university’s academic excellence, collaborative culture, and one-of-a-kind oceanfront setting.
Size
UC Santa Barbara has a total enrollment of approximately 26,000 students, including around 23,000 undergraduates and 3,000 graduate students. A private tour of UC Santa Barbara gives you the opportunity to experience the size of the campus and how its academic, residential, and coastal spaces come together in person.
Acceptance rate
UC Santa Barbara has an acceptance rate of around 27%, reflecting its competitive admissions process. Half of admitted students who submitted test scores have SAT scores roughly between 1230–1480 or ACT scores between 27–33. A UC Santa Barbara campus tour helps applicants better understand the admissions experience and campus culture through the perspective of current students.
Cost
For the 2024 academic year, UC Santa Barbara’s undergraduate tuition is approximately $14,000 for California residents and $44,000 for nonresidents (including supplemental tuition), with graduate tuition varying by program. A significant portion of undergraduates receive financial aid, with many students benefiting from grants, scholarships, and need-based assistance to help offset costs.
Ranking
According to U.S. News & World Report, UC Santa Barbara is ranked among the top public universities in the United States. Rankings are based on widely recognized measures of academic quality, including graduation rates, faculty resources, and student outcomes. Booking a UC Santa Barbara campus tour highlights why the university is nationally recognized for both academic excellence and student experience.
Academics
UC Santa Barbara offers more than 200 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels across its colleges and schools. The university maintains a student-to-faculty ratio of approximately 17:1, supporting close interaction with faculty and strong academic engagement. On a UC Santa Barbara campus tour, students can see how rigorous academics blend with an active campus and coastal lifestyle.
Traditions
UC Santa Barbara’s most cherished traditions include Deltopia weekend, surf culture along Campus Point, the Extravaganza concert, and strong school spirit around Gaucho athletics. Experiencing these traditions during a UC Santa Barbara campus tour highlights the tight-knit, energetic community and laid-back coastal lifestyle that define student life at UCSB.
Campus landmarks
University of California, Santa Barbara’s most iconic landmarks include Storke Tower, the UCSB Lagoon, Campbell Hall, the Davidson Library, and Campus Point overlooking the Pacific Ocean—all reflecting the university’s unique blend of academic excellence, natural beauty, and coastal California atmosphere.
Student body
University of California, Santa Barbara draws a large portion of its students from across California, with additional representation from other U.S. states and countries around the world. The student body reflects a diverse mix of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences shaped by both in-state and out-of-state students. A private UC Santa Barbara campus tour offers insight into how this diversity influences academics, campus culture, and daily student life.
Become a SchoolScoops guide
In college? Earn $40/hour hosting 1-on-1 UC Santa Barbara campus tours and video chats with prospective students. Share your UCSB story and help future students find their path.
Become a guideYour UC Santa Barbara questions, answered
Where is UC Santa Barbara located?
UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) is located in Santa Barbara, California, along the Pacific coast between the city of Santa Barbara and Goleta. A UC Santa Barbara campus tour lets you experience the university’s oceanfront setting and see how the surrounding beach and community are woven into everyday student life.
How many students attend UC Santa Barbara?
University of California, Santa Barbara enrolls approximately 26,000 students, including around 23,000 undergraduates and about 3,000 graduate students.
When was UC Santa Barbara founded?
University of California, Santa Barbara was founded in 1909 and has grown into one of the leading public research universities in the University of California system.
Does UC Santa Barbara require an essay?
Yes. UC Santa Barbara requires applicants to complete the University of California Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) as part of the undergraduate application, which give students the opportunity to share their experiences, interests, and goals beyond grades and test scores.
How much is tuition at UC Santa Barbara?
For the 2024–2025 academic year, undergraduate tuition at University of California, Santa Barbara is approximately $14,000 per year for California residents and $44,000 per year for nonresidents (including supplemental tuition). Graduate tuition varies by program and residency status.
How hard is it to get into UC Santa Barbara?
University of California, Santa Barbara is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate around 25–30%. Successful applicants typically have strong academic records, challenging coursework, and well-developed Personal Insight Question responses that highlight their experiences and interests.
What GPA is required for UC Santa Barbara?
University of California, Santa Barbara does not publish a strict minimum GPA, but admitted students typically have very strong academic records. Most successful applicants report weighted GPAs in the roughly 4.1–4.3 range, with a solid performance in UC-approved A–G coursework. Strong grades in rigorous classes are an important part of a competitive application.
Is UC Santa Barbara public or private?
University of California, Santa Barbara is a public research university and part of the University of California system.
How big is UC Santa Barbara?
University of California, Santa Barbara spans approximately 1,055 acres along the Pacific coastline, featuring academic buildings, residence halls, research facilities, beaches, and open green spaces that define its unique campus environment.
How can I book a tour of UC Santa Barbara?
You can schedule an admissions-led tour through the UC Santa Barbara Visitor Center, or book a private, student-led University of California, Santa Barbara campus tour through SchoolScoops for a more personalized, one-on-one experience with a current student.
Interested in other schools?
SchoolScoops also offers tours and video chats at many other schools
Search schools