The student population at Santa Barbara City College is 12,334 (all undergraduate). The number of students has decreased by 5,586 (31.17%) over the past decade.
- Gender Breakdown: In 2025, there were 82 male students for every 100 female students, down from 88 in 2015.
- 3,733 students enrolled in online degree program exclusively and the number of online students has increased by 47.49% since 2015.
Student Population Changes
The average student population over the last 11 years is 14,235 where 12,334 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 1 year-over-year increase and 8 decreases. It peaked at 17,920 students in 2016 and was lowest at 12,334 in 2025. Overall, enrollment dropped from 17,920 to 12,334 students, a net loss of 5,586 (31.2%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Santa Barbara City College since 2015.
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes
The percentage of white students is 37.24% and the percentage of black students is 2.34% at Santa Barbara City College. 4.57% of enrolled students is Asian. Hispanic students comprise 36.22% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 40.17% to 37.24%. Asian enrollment declined from 4.88% to 4.57%. Black student enrollment decreased from 3.58% to 2.34%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 34.06% to 36.22%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.7244 which indicates that quite diverse. This increased from 0.7165 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Santa Barbara City College over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes
3,733 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 30% of total students. The number of online students has increased 47.49% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Santa Barbara City College from 2015 to 2025.