Enrollment: 18892
Average SAT: 605
Average ACT: 26
Most Popular Majors: Biology/Biological Sciences, General,Economics, General,Psychology, General,
Regular Application Deadline: 11/30

Undergraduate Receiving Need-Based Financial Aid: 19
Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid: $14,219.00

Lots of Hard Liquor
Party Schools
Reefer Madness

Students Say - Academics
One student response effectively sums up how most students feel about The University of California-Santa Barbara: "I like the relaxed and non-competitive environment. Don't get me wrong, though; UCSB's academics are top-rate, and some of the professors are jaw-droppingly amazing. Plus, you can't beat getting to relax on the beach 2 minutes after a lecture given by a Nobel Laureate." Laid-back and top-rate are some of the comments that most students tell us when describing their educations at UCSB; from "the perfect balance between academics and social atmosphere," to "beautiful location, active social life and night life…and some of the top engineering and science programs in the country." Some detractors tend to focus on the school's predilection for partying but, at the end of the day, most students are here to study. Many students cite the faculty as their favorite part of UCSB. One declares, "all of my professors so far are Ivy League alumni, and I have learned an incredible amount from them," while another states, "I was impressed by the Nobel prizes the faculty had." Other students focus on UCSB's farther-reaching upside such as its "exceptional research opportunities and great networking to help students obtain internships and jobs," or its "enthusiastic alumni." "The typical students here are intelligent and academically inclined but also enjoy balancing their time with many nonacademic activities." And, "The best thing about UCSB is that the students know how to keep a balance between having fun and getting their work done."

Students Say - Campus Life
Life at UCSB is centered on outdoor activities, and rightly so; "The campus is situated in an area that allows for many fun outdoor activities such as hiking, surfing, and much more." "The campus is by the beach and the mountains in a beautiful setting." Some students object to the view of UCSB as a party school, "people need to get past the party reputation and realize that this is an excellent school academically." Santa Barbara attracts smart students searching for a "collaborative, non-competitive learning environment. Everyone at UCSB is so laid-back and friendly, but we still take our academics very seriously." Or, as one student puts it, "UCSB does not disappoint its reputation as a party school, our claim to being the Harvard of party schools is well founded." Had enough partying? Many "people think about the environment and ways to be sustainable and green." Students can also find "lots of surfing and going to the beach," "great hiking in the mountains, ocean kayaking, [and] rock climbing." Overall, most students are thrilled to be at Santa Barbara.

Students Say - Student Body
As you'd expect, "the typical student is an outgoing person by nature who loves to party. There are plenty of others as well, but we all tend to fit in somewhere because the weather here brings out the best in everyone." "There are a lot of surfers and people who like to party a lot, but there seems to be a place for everyone whether you're studious, or love computers, or are even religious." One student explains, "our community is so diverse and so replete with different academic and social opportunities," and another adds, "UCSB is a WONDERFUL environment for queer students. There are lots of organizations for many different types of students, and I haven't been discriminated [against] in the least." As with any large group of people, at least some aren't thrilled. One tells us, "The typical student at UCSB is spoiled [and] snobby." However, this disgruntled student's feelings are definitely in the minority. "For the level of intelligence students at UCSB display, most students are not overly 'nerdy or socially inept.'"

University of California--Berkeley
University of California--Davis

More at PrincetonReview.com