UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara has a prime beachfront location on 989 acres of land overlooking the Pacific Ocean and bordered by the Santa Ynez Mountains. The campus is located in the suburb of Goleta, an hour and a half car-ride from Los Angeles. The campus is within walking distance of many beautiful beaches, and it is only a 15-minute drive to downtown urban Santa Barbara for great shopping and restaurants and more beaches.
Student Body
UCSB has about 16,000 undergraduates, 95 percent of them from California. According to recent figures from the University of California, underrepresented minorities (blacks, American Indians, and Latinos) account for approximately 18.7 percent of the student body. UCSB has a medium- to large-sized student body in comparison to the other UC schools.
Academics
Like Berkeley and UCLA, UCSB has large classes, with 100 to 200 students, especially at introductory levels. Upper-division classes average about 30 students. Professors hold office hours, and, to get to get to know them, students must go during these office hours and seek them out.
UCSB rates among the top 50 research schools in the United States. Undergraduates annually receive a total of approximately $250,000 to fund research projects. The school has programs in Chicano Studies, Black Studies, Asian American Studies and Latin American Studies. Biological sciences is among one of the most popular undergraduate majors on campus.
Approximately 86 percent of freshmen return for a second year and 65 percent graduate in five years. UCSB has a 67 percent retention rate for students of color.
Health Opportunities
UCSB does not have a medical school, but there are opportunities to work at clinics and hospitals in the area, especially in Santa Barbara. The biology program is strong and the marine biology program is excellent. Faculty members conduct a lot of research, and students who seek out opportunities can become involved with ongoing projects.
Financial Aid
Close to 70 percent of freshmen and 50 percent of upper-class students receive some kind of financial aid. The school offers need-based, athletic and merit-based scholarships. About 37 percent of students take out loans. Approximately 17 percent of students have on-campus jobs; some off-campus jobs are available.
Transportation
The UCSB campus is a mile from the nearest town, and public transportation serves the campus and the area. Many students ride bikes on campus. It is helpful but not necessary to have a car.
Housing
Students are not required to live on campus, and about 15 percent do, most of whom are freshmen. Many students live in the area or in the nearby town of Isla Vista, which is a bit more expensive. Most social activity takes place off campus. About 15 percent of male students join fraternities and 16 percent of female students join sororities.
Student Life
UC Santa Barbara has a reputation for being a friendly, social place. The school has fewer students and a less intimidating atmosphere than UC Berkeley or UCLA. Approximately 250 campus organizations offer a variety of ways for students to become involved. Strong ethnic communities offer good support services. Cultural offerings include an on-campus University Art Museum and an Arts and Lectures series, which presents more than 200 public events a year.
Many UCSB students participate in sports and outdoor activities. The school's athletics program offers 11 varsity sports for men (cross-country running, water polo, soccer, basketball, swimming and diving, track and field, baseball, golf and tennis) and ten for women (tennis, volleyball, swimming and diving, track, gymnastics, cross-country running, softball, basketball, water polo and soccer).
UC Santa Barbara May Be for You If....
You want to go to a school in a beautiful location where you can spend a lot of time outdoors. You are interested in doing scientific research. You want to go a friendly, social school.
Go to http://www.ucsb.edu to learn more about UC Santa Barbara.