College comparison

UC Berkeley vs UC Santa Barbara

A side-by-side of acceptance rate, test scores, and cost — source-cited estimates, not guarantees. Want the number that actually matters for your student? Model your admit odds at each.

Metric	UC Berkeley Berkeley, CA	UC Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
Acceptance rateUniversity of California-Berkeley is more selective	11%	33%
SAT (25–75)	—	—
ACT (25–75)	—	—
Undergrad enrollment	33,068	23,113
Avg net price	$13,481	$16,109
Median earnings (10 yr)UC Berkeley reports higher median earnings	$92,446	$74,915
Graduation rate	93%	83%
Median debt	$13,000	$13,993
Economic mobility	4.9%	3.1%
Test policy	—	—
Type	Public	Public

Quick answers

Is University of California-Berkeley or University of California-Santa Barbara harder to get into?

University of California-Berkeley is more selective: University of California-Berkeley's acceptance rate is approximately 11% and University of California-Santa Barbara's is approximately 33% (estimates from public and primary sources).

What SAT score do you need for University of California-Berkeley vs University of California-Santa Barbara?

The middle-50% SAT range is — at University of California-Berkeley and — at University of California-Santa Barbara. Scores outside these bands are still admitted, especially with strong applications.

Figures are estimates compiled from public datasets (College Scorecard / IPEDS) and primary sources; verify with each institution before relying on them.

These outputs are estimates from a baseline model — not guarantees of admission, cost, or outcome.