University Of California-Santa Barbara

University of California-Santa Barbara's published cost of attendance is $41,573, but need-based aid reshapes that figure meaningfully across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $9,231 per year in net price, middle-income families pay around $12,588, and higher-income families pay approximately $31,863.

Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Barbara #212 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Need-based aid covers a meaningful share of costs for qualifying students, with the gap between sticker price and net price widening substantially for lower-income families. The [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is real at many institutions — published costs often overstate what families actually pay — and University of California-Santa Barbara's income-band pricing reflects that dynamic.

Families apply for aid using the FAFSA, and the university participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $13,993, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $26,465; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $70,323, median federal debt of $13,993 projects to a monthly payment of about $158 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara earn median earnings of $70,323 four years after enrollment, placing University of California-Santa Barbara in the 73.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $15,263 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 92.7 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of California-Santa Barbara #236 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern at University of California-Santa Barbara reflects a Social Sciences-leaning program mix — Social Sciences accounts for 27% of degrees, followed by Arts at 5% and other STEM fields at 5%. Economics combines large cohort scale with strong pay, making it a key contributor to the university's overall return profile.

Azimuth ranks Sociology #9 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 672 graduates earning median earnings of $60,013 four years after enrollment. Economics ranks #43 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 656 graduates earning $98,178, and Research Psychology ranks #7 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with 616 graduates earning $66,171.

Among the highest-earning subfields, Communication and Media Studies graduates earn $72,976 and Biology, General graduates earn $64,520 four years after enrollment.

University of California-Santa Barbara's program mix is anchored in Social Sciences, which accounts for 27% of degree output — a concentration that shapes the institution's overall earnings profile. Arts represents 5% of graduates and other STEM fields adds another 5%, giving the university a social-sciences-and-interdisciplinary signature rather than an engineering- or business-heavy one.

Across 45 programs serving roughly 6,834 students annually, 40 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a broad portfolio for a large public research university. Economics is the program that combines the largest cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a central driver of University of California-Santa Barbara's aggregate financial outcomes.

Sociology is the largest program with 672 graduates earning median earnings of $60,013 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #9 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Economics program graduates 656 students with median earnings of $98,178, while The Research Psychology program graduates 616 students.

On the earnings side, Applied Mathematics leads with median earnings of $109,360 from a cohort of 215 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #7 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Economics follows at $98,178 with 656 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #43 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The distinction between high-mobility and grad-school-dependent pathways matters at University of California-Santa Barbara. Programs like Applied Mathematics and Economics tend to channel graduates directly into the workforce, where four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes.

By contrast, several of the university's large social-sciences programs — including Sociology and Communication and Media Studies — often serve as feeders to graduate and professional school, meaning four-year earnings undercount the lifetime trajectory for students who continue their education. The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides additional context for how University of California-Santa Barbara's dominant program families align with national wage trends and employer demand, [as does Azimuth's program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). ```