UC Santa Barbara vs CSU-FC

Nestled in the vibrant coastal town of Santa Barbara, California, and the scenic foothills of Fort Collins, Colorado, the University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) and Colorado State University-Fort Collins (CSU) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they offer unique experiences shaped by their diverse locations, academic strengths, and student demographics. With UCSB boasting a lower acceptance rate, a higher proportion of international students, and a focus on research-intensive programs, it contrasts with CSU's more accessible admissions, larger student body, and emphasis on hands-on learning. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into the details and discover which university aligns best with your aspirations and goals.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins logo

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

University of California-Santa Barbara logo

University of California-Santa Barbara

Overview

Location Fort Collins, Colorado Santa Barbara, California
Campus setting City: Midsize Suburb: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 86.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 89.6% 29.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range 1080 - 1290 N/A
ACT range 23 - 29 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 38.0%
Students submitting ACT score 17.0%
Total number of applicants 31,586 105,641
Total number of admissions given out 28,314 30,824
Admitted students who chose to enroll 5,197 4,900
Yield rate 18.4% 15.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $27,174

Out of state: $46,456
In state: $35,374

Out of state: $65,128
Average net price $18,320 $17,333
Tuition
In state: $9,709

Out of state: $28,991
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,186

Meal plan: $6,830
$16,699
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

70.0%
Average amount $10,034
53.0%
Average amount $18,107
Students receiving federal student loan 36.0%
Average amount $5,018
11.0%
Average amount $4,576
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $19,976
3.0%
Average amount $10,788

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 24,954
Men 45.6% Women 54.4%
23,091
Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
Graduate students 7,632
Men 43.7% Women 56.3%
3,033
Men 53.2% Women 46.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 34.3% 13.2%
International students 4.8% 13.4%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 8,300 11,031
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Colorado California Texas Illinois Washington California Washington Colorado Texas New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Agriculture
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio 17:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 69.1% 85.4%
Dropout rate 18.5% 14.0%
Transferred out 10.4% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $94,915
  • Year 3: $106,015
Engineering, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,613
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $95,296
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,379
  • Year 2: $75,706
  • Year 3: $93,827
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,747
  • Year 2: $80,301
  • Year 3: $92,215
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,256
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $89,957
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,253
  • Year 2: $73,070
  • Year 3: $88,889
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,603
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $88,546
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,387
  • Year 2: $83,546
  • Year 3: $86,814
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,629
  • Year 2: $71,778
  • Year 3: $83,089
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,849
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $80,723
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,276
  • Year 2: $81,554
  • Year 3: $96,623
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,726
  • Year 2: $76,773
  • Year 3: $94,355
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,445
  • Year 2: $72,134
  • Year 3: $88,523
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,540
  • Year 2: $59,485
  • Year 3: $73,916
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,678
  • Year 2: $60,452
  • Year 3: $73,907
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,465
  • Year 2: $60,790
  • Year 3: $73,844
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,765
  • Year 2: $59,536
  • Year 3: $71,984
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,194
  • Year 2: $52,107
  • Year 3: $71,014
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,972
  • Year 2: $57,860
  • Year 3: $70,694
Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,652
  • Year 2: $47,650
  • Year 3: $66,826

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