UCSB SAT Scores and GPA

What are UCSB's average SAT scores and GPA? In this guide, we'll discuss what scores are needed for you to get admitted into UCSB. You'll also get to calculate your own chances with our admissions calculator.

Location: Santa Barbara, CA

This school is also known as: University of California, Santa Barbara, UCSB, UC Santa Barbara

UCSB Admissions Statistics

There are three critical numbers when considering your admissions chances: SAT scores, GPA, and acceptance rate. All these combine to tell you what you scores are required to get into University of California, Santa Barbara.

Average SAT: 1355

The average SAT score composite at UCSB is a 1355.

UCSB SAT Score Analysis

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1230, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1480.

In other words, a 1230 places you below average, while a 1480 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at UCSB, but they really want to see at least a 1230 to have a chance at being considered.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
Math	690	610	770
Reading + Writing	665	620	710
Composite	1355	1230	1480

Average GPA: 4.3

The average GPA at UCSB is 4.3. This makes UCSB Extremely Competitive for GPAs.

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 4.3, UCSB requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. You should also have taken plenty of AP or IB classes to show your ability to excel in academic challenge.

If you're a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change from this point on. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 4.3, you'll need a higher SAT score to compensate and show that you're prepared to take on college academics. This will help you compete effectively with other applicants.

Admissions Rate: 27.8%

The acceptance rate at UCSB is 27.8%. In other words, of 100 students who apply, 28 are admitted.

This means the school is quite selective. If you have strong academic scores, you have a great shot at getting in.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is quite selective, strong academic scores are critical to improving your chances of admission. If you're able to score a 1480 SAT or above, you'll have a very strong chance at getting in. But if you get a 1230 SAT or below, it'll be a steep uphill battle for you to get admitted.

Admissions Calculator

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in UCSB, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to UCSB.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than UCSB. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, MI	1470	33
Binghamton University	Binghamton, NY	1430	31
Lehigh University	Bethlehem, PA	1430	32
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Troy, NY	1428	32
University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley, CA	1415	31
University of Washington	Seattle, WA	1410	32
Stony Brook University	Stony Brook, NY	1396	31

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for UCSB, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
American University	Washington, DC	1368	30
Pepperdine University	Malibu, CA	1367	30
Brigham Young University	Provo, UT	1360	30
University of California, San Diego	La Jolla, CA	1360	30
University of Massachusetts Amherst	Amherst, MA	1358	30
University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	1355	30
Rochester Institute of Technology	Rochester, NY	1352	31

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for UCSB, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If UCSB is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of Connecticut	Storrs, CT	1315	29
Seton Hall University	South Orange, NJ	1310	30
Penn State University Park	University Park, PA	1310	29
Syracuse University	Syracuse, NY	1310	29
University of Texas at Dallas	Richardson, TX	1291	28
Temple University	Philadelphia, PA	1241	28
University of Cincinnati	Cincinnati, OH	1223	26

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2024 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.