UC Santa Barbara vs UT Dallas

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Santa Barbara, California, and Richardson, Texas, home to the prestigious University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) and The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), respectively. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences shaped by their unique locations, student demographics, and academic strengths. UCSB boasts a higher acceptance rate, attracting a diverse student body from across the globe, while UTD maintains a smaller, more intimate learning environment. Explore their contrasting popular majors, from UCSB's focus on environmental studies and UTD's emphasis on engineering and computer science. Delve into the comparison table to uncover further disparities in graduation rates, tuition fees, and the vibrant campus life each university offers. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, setting the stage for an enriching and transformative college journey.
The University of Texas at Dallas logo

The University of Texas at Dallas

University of California-Santa Barbara logo

University of California-Santa Barbara

Overview

Location Richardson, Texas 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 88.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 87.2% 29.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 18,838 105,641
Total number of admissions given out 16,429 30,824
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,042 4,900
Yield rate 24.6% 15.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Not 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: $32,526

Out of state: $57,738
In state: $35,374

Out of state: $65,128
Average net price $12,924 $17,333
Tuition
In state: $14,564

Out of state: $39,776
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,970

Meal plan: $4,172
$16,699
Available payment plans
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

66.0%
Average amount $15,140
53.0%
Average amount $18,107
Students receiving federal student loan 24.0%
Average amount $5,079
11.0%
Average amount $4,576
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $15,398
3.0%
Average amount $10,788

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 21,446
Men 56.6% Women 43.4%
23,091
Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
Graduate students 8,250
Men 55.8% Women 44.2%
3,033
Men 53.2% Women 46.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 6.0% 13.2%
International students 16.5% 13.4%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 5,543 11,031
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Texas California Illinois North Carolina Louisiana California Washington Colorado Texas New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio 26:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 71.7% 85.4%
Dropout rate 10.7% 14.0%
Transferred out 15.6% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,371
  • Year 2: $94,408
  • Year 3: $106,143
Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $103,193
  • Year 2: $94,408
  • Year 3: $103,360
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,385
  • Year 2: $94,674
  • Year 3: $103,273
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,107
  • Year 2: $81,333
  • Year 3: $94,531
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,113
  • Year 2: $74,953
  • Year 3: $84,024
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,036
  • Year 2: $75,518
  • Year 3: $83,026
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,533
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $79,085
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,146
  • Year 2: $69,098
  • Year 3: $78,335
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,488
  • Year 2: $67,324
  • Year 3: $77,437
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,095
  • Year 2: $62,863
  • Year 3: $75,842
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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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