University of California-Santa Barbara

What is the cost of studying for a year at University of California-Santa Barbara?

UCSB's published price depends substantially on California residency and on living arrangements. For the 2024-25 IPEDS reporting year, full-time undergraduate tuition and required fees totaled approximately $15,444 for in-state students and $47,332 for out-of-state students. Those amounts do not cover the full cost of attendance.

• California-resident undergraduate tuition and required fees, 2024-25: approximately $15,444.
• Out-of-state undergraduate tuition and required fees, 2024-25: approximately $47,332.
• Reported annual room and board charge: approximately $21,975; actual charges depend on the housing and meal arrangement.
• Reported books and supplies allowance: approximately $1,484, before transportation and personal expenses.

Adding the listed tuition, room and board, and books figures produces about $38,903 for a resident or $70,791 for a nonresident. Neither is a complete official cost-of-attendance estimate: transportation, personal expenses, and individual circumstances can add to the budget. Students should use UCSB's current-year cost-of-attendance schedule for their residency and housing situation rather than apply 2024-25 prices to a later year.

Financial aid can make the amount a student pays much lower than the published price. In the reported undergraduate aid data, 61% received financial aid and 18% had student loans. Among students awarded grants, the reported average grant amount was $20,405; that average is not an award every applicant can expect. Reported average net prices also differ by family income: approximately $9,992 for families earning $48,000 or less, versus $31,863 for families earning more than $110,000. These are group averages after grant aid, not personalized quotes.

Eligible students may receive federal grants, California aid such as Cal Grants, UC or UCSB grants and scholarships, and federal loans. Applicants should complete the FAFSA or, when eligible, the California Dream Act Application and check the relevant year's state and campus priority deadlines. UCSB's financial aid office can explain a student's actual offer, including whether assistance is a grant, a loan, or earnings available through work-study.

What are the work-study opportunities at University of California-Santa Barbara?

Eligible UCSB students may receive Federal Work-Study as part of a financial aid offer. Work-study is permission to earn wages through an eligible job up to an awarded amount; it is not money automatically credited to a student's account. Students generally must find a position, be hired, and work the hours to receive those wages.

Other on-campus jobs may be open to students without work-study, and some eligible off-campus positions serve community or public-interest purposes. Job availability, hours, and eligibility vary. UCSB's student employment resources and Career Services are useful starting points for openings.

Career Services also supports decisions that go beyond part-time work, including career exploration, résumé and interview preparation, internship searches, employer events, and job-search planning. Students should distinguish those services from an employment outcome: access to counseling or a job board does not establish that a graduate will receive a particular offer or salary.