Paying for UCSB

$15,444 3.20%

Undergraduate(in-state)

$47,332 3.48%

Undergraduate(out-of-state)

$15,124 4.64%

Graduate(in-state)

$30,226 2.27%

Graduate(out-of-state)

How much does it cost to go to University of California-Santa Barbara?

The 2025 tuition & fees of University of California-Santa Barbara is $15,444 for in-state and $47,332 for out-of-state students. Its tuition & fees is a little bit higher than the average tuition for R1 Universities' tuition of $39,763 based on out-of-state tuition rate.

Based on the last year increase rate, The 2026 estimated tuition & fees at UCSB is $15,938 for California residents and $48,977 for out-of-state students, a 3.5% increase compared to 2025's rate.

UCSB 2025 Tuition & Fees
YearIn-StateOut-of-StateR1 Universities' Average
2023-2024$14,965 $45,742$38,374
2024-2025$15,444$47,332$39,763
Change % 2024-20253.20%3.48%3.62%
2025-2026 Estimate$15,938$48,977$41,202

How much do you actually pay at UCSB?

The living costs at UCSB is $27,112 when living on campus. The on-campus living costs increased by 12.31% compared to the previous year. The off-campus living costs increased by 14.03%.

The UCSB's 2025 COA is $43,937 for in-state and $75,825 for out-of-state students for living on campus. The off-campus COA is $41,332 for in-state and $73,220 for out-of-state students.

57% of enrolled students have received grants or scholarships, and the average aid amount is $20,405. It could cover 43.11% of the full tuition amount.

After receiving the financial aid, the net price is $23,532 for in-state and $55,420 for out-of-state students..

University of California-Santa Barbara 2025 Cost of Attendance (COA)
On-CampusOff-Campus
In-StateOut-StateIn-StateOut-State
Tuition & Fees$15,444$47,332$15,444$47,332
Room & Board$20,279$17,047
Personal Expenses$6,833$7,460
Books & Supplies$1,381$1,381
COA$43,937$75,825$41,332$73,220
COA with Financial Aid$23,532$55,420$20,927$52,815

UCSB 4-Years Tuition

How Much is UCSB tuition for 4 years?

UCSB's 4-years tuition is $62,983 for in-state and $193,337 for out-of-state students, based on current tuition and change rate.

Since the tuition & fees at University of California-Santa Barbara have risen very slightly (very lower than national average) over the last 4 years, the actual costs may differ from the estimation based on the school or University system's new tuition policy.

UCSB 4 Years Tuition & Fees Estimates
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$15,564$15,684$15,806$15,929$62,983
Out-of-State$47,730$48,130$48,535$48,942$193,337
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$15,684$15,806$15,929$16,052$63,471
Out-of-State$48,130$48,535$48,942$49,353$194,960
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$15,806$15,929$16,052$16,177$63,963
Out-of-State$48,535$48,942$49,353$49,768$196,597
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$15,929$16,052$16,177$16,302$64,459
Out-of-State$48,942$49,353$49,768$50,186$198,249
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$16,052$16,177$16,302$16,428$64,959
Out-of-State$49,353$49,768$50,186$50,607$199,913

Net Price for 4 Years at UCSB

Based on recent tuition increase rate, for the students who were admitted in Fall 2025, the estimated 4-years COA is $184,343 for California residents and $314,697 for out-of-state students.

UCSB 4 Years COA
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$44,775$45,634$46,540$47,468$184,343
Out-of-State$76,940$78,080$79,244$80,433$314,697
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$45,634$46,515$47,444$48,395$187,916
Out-of-State$78,080$79,244$80,433$81,649$319,405
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$46,515$47,420$48,371$49,346$191,582
Out-of-State$79,244$80,433$81,649$82,891$324,217
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$47,420$48,348$49,323$50,322$195,343
Out-of-State$80,433$81,649$82,891$84,160$329,133
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$48,348$49,300$50,299$51,323$199,202
Out-of-State$81,649$82,891$84,160$85,457$334,156

Actual COA after Receiving Financial Aid

After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $102,723 for California residents and $233,077 for out-of-state students.

UCSB 4 Years COA after Receiving Financial Aid
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$24,370$25,229$26,135$27,063$102,723
Out-of-State$56,535$57,675$58,839$60,028$233,077
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$25,229$26,110$27,039$27,990$106,296
Out-of-State$57,675$58,839$60,028$61,244$237,785
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$26,110$27,015$27,966$28,941$109,962
Out-of-State$58,839$60,028$61,244$62,486$242,597
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$27,015$27,943$28,918$29,917$113,723
Out-of-State$60,028$61,244$62,486$63,755$247,513
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$27,943$28,895$29,894$30,918$117,582
Out-of-State$61,244$62,486$63,755$65,052$252,536

UCSB's Graduate Tuition

The graduate school tuition at University of California-Santa Barbara is $15,124 for in-state and $30,226 for out-of-state students. Detailed graduate program tuition and majors can be found at UCSB graduate program page.

UCSB Graduate Tuition & Fees
YearIn-StateOut-of-State
2023-2024$14,453 $29,555
2024-2025$15,124$30,226
Change % 2024-20254.64%2.27%
2025-2026$15,826$30,912

UCSB Tuition Charts

The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at UCSB. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.

University of California-Santa Barbara 2025 undergraduate tuition chartUniversity of California-Santa Barbara 2025 graduate tuition chartUniversity of California-Santa Barbara 2025 COA (cost of attendance) chartUniversity of California-Santa Barbara 2025 room & board cost chartUniversity of California-Santa Barbara 2025 books & supplies cost chart

Compare Tuition with Similar Colleges

The following table compares tuition & fees between University of California-Santa Barbara and its similar schools.

Tuition Comparison between UCSB and Similar Colleges
In-StateOut-of-State
University of California-Santa Barbara$15,444$47,332
University of Hawaii at Manoa$12,186$34,218
California State University-Long Beach$7,374$19,974
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$12,161$33,230
University of California-Riverside$14,636$46,524
California State University-Fullerton$7,470$20,070

UCSB Tuition Frequently Asked Questions

For the academic year 2024-2025, the undergraduate tuition & fees at UCSB are $15,444 for California residents and $47,332 for out-of-state students.
The total cost of attendance (COA) at UCSB for the academic year 2024-2025 includes tuition & fees, books & supplies, and living expenses. For in-state students, the estimated COA is $43,937 and $75,825 for out-of-state students. Actual costs may vary depending on housing choices and personal expenses.
It has been risen by 3.20% for California residents and increased by 3.48% for out-of-state rates compared to the previous year. The graduate tuition has been risen by 4.64% for California residents and increased by 2.27% for out-of-state rates compared to the previous year.
57% of UCSB undergraduates receive grants or scholarships, with an average aid amount of $20,405 per student. Additional financial aid options are available through UCSB's financial aid office.
In-State (California Residents): The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $184,343, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. The tuition and fees alone are approximately $15,929 per year, which would total around $62,983 over four years. Out-of-State: The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $314,697. The tuition and fees are around $48,942 per year, totaling about $193,337 over four years.
Per credit hour cost information is not available for UCSB.
The in-state undergraduate tuition at UCSB is higher than the average for similar schools ($12,338 - public Research University (very high research activity)).The out-of-state undergraduate tuition at UCSB is much higher than the average for similar schools ($31,723 - public Research University (very high research activity)).The in-state graduate tuition at UCSB is a little bit higher than the average for similar schools ($14,181 - public Research University (very high research activity)).The out-of-state graduate tuition at UCSB is about the same as the average for similar schools ($29,952 - public Research University (very high research activity)).

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