UC Santa Barbara vs Binghamton University

Nestled in the vibrant city of Santa Barbara, California, and the historic town of Binghamton, New York, University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) and Binghamton University (BU) stand as two distinct academic powerhouses. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer unique experiences shaped by their diverse locations, student demographics, and academic strengths. UCSB boasts a lower acceptance rate, a larger student body, and a higher graduation rate, while BU offers a more affordable tuition and a wider range of undergraduate majors. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover the nuances that set these two universities apart and make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Binghamton University logo

Binghamton University

University of California-Santa Barbara logo

University of California-Santa Barbara

Overview

Location Vestal, New York Santa Barbara, California
Campus setting Suburb: 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 91.0% 91.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 44.2% 29.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range 1310 - 1470 N/A
ACT range 30 - 33 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 54.0%
Students submitting ACT score 13.0%
Total number of applicants 39,533 105,641
Total number of admissions given out 17,455 30,824
Admitted students who chose to enroll 3,089 4,900
Yield rate 17.7% 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: $29,454

Out of state: $45,484
In state: $35,374

Out of state: $65,128
Average net price $17,881 $17,333
Tuition
In state: $7,070

Out of state: $23,100
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,433

Meal plan: $5,631
$16,699
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

60.0%
Average amount $10,858
53.0%
Average amount $18,107
Students receiving federal student loan 47.0%
Average amount $5,434
11.0%
Average amount $4,576
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $15,234
3.0%
Average amount $10,788

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 14,307
Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
23,091
Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
Graduate students 3,748
Men 48.6% Women 51.4%
3,033
Men 53.2% Women 46.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 9.0% 13.2%
International students 9.0% 13.4%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Midsize Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 7,449 11,031
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Connecticut Mississippi California Washington Colorado Texas New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio 19:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 83.8% 85.4%
Dropout rate 3.5% 14.0%
Transferred out 12.2% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,610
  • Year 2: $101,406
  • Year 3: $108,777
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,050
  • Year 2: $84,161
  • Year 3: $92,325
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,644
  • Year 2: $75,921
  • Year 3: $89,400
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,544
  • Year 2: $72,214
  • Year 3: $85,921
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,035
  • Year 2: $75,518
  • Year 3: $83,024
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,692
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $82,373
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,297
  • Year 2: $67,886
  • Year 3: $81,290
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,124
  • Year 2: $68,443
  • Year 3: $79,790
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,746
  • Year 2: $69,002
  • Year 3: $76,626
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,800
  • Year 2: $73,949
  • Year 3: $76,330
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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