College comparison

UC Santa Barbara vs University of San Diego

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 Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA	University of San Diego San Diego, CA
Acceptance rateUniversity of California-Santa Barbara is more selective	33%	52%
SAT (25–75)	—	—
ACT (25–75)	—	—
Undergrad enrollment	23,113	5,671
Avg net price	$16,109	$30,365
Median earnings (10 yr)University of San Diego reports higher median earnings	$74,915	$86,522
Graduation rate	83%	84%
Median debt	$13,993	$22,940
Economic mobility	3.1%	2.3%
Test policy	—	—
Type	Public	Private (nonprofit)

Quick answers

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

University of California-Santa Barbara is more selective: University of California-Santa Barbara's acceptance rate is approximately 33% and University of San Diego's is approximately 52% (estimates from public and primary sources).

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

The middle-50% SAT range is — at University of California-Santa Barbara and — at University of San Diego. 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.