Paying for UCSB
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
$47,332 ($15,444)
Graduate Tuition & Fees
$30,226 ($15,124)
On-campus Living Costs
$27,112
Off-campus Living Costs
$24,507
The 2025 tuition & fees of University of California-Santa Barbara are $15,444 for California residents and $47,332 for out-of-state students. For graduate programs, the tuition & fees are $15,124 for California residents and $30,226 for out-of-state students.
Compared to Public, 4-Years Colleges in California, the undergraduate tuition & fees are very expensive and the graduate tuition & fees are expensive.
Compared to similar schools in rankings such as University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of Florida, tuition & fees of University of California-Santa Barbara is average where the average tuition & fees of the schools are $40,402.
The average living cost of the school is $27,112 when a student lives in on-campus housing. When a student lives off-campus, the average living cost is $24,507.
*Data Source: 2024-2025 Tuition & Fees - NCES (Last Update: 6/05/2025)
2025 Tuition and Comparison Chart
The following chart visualizes the UCSB's 2025 tuition & fees and compares to similar schools by school type, level, and location.
2025 Tuition & fees
The 2025 undergraduate tuition & fees at University of California-Santa Barbara are $15,444 for California residents and $47,332 for out-of-state students. The undergraduate tuition & fees have increased by 3.48% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition & fees are $15,124 for California residents and $30,226 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition & fees have increased by 2.27% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition & fees and the tuition trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Residents | Out-of-State | California Residents | Out-of-State | |
| 2021 | $14,406 | $44,160 | $13,568 | $28,670 |
| 2022 | $14,417 | $44,171 | $13,581 | $28,683 |
| 2023 | $14,617 | $44,689 | $13,872 | $28,974 |
| 2024 | $14,965 | $45,742 | $14,453 | $29,555 |
| 2025 | $15,444 | $47,332 | $15,124 | $30,226 |
Living Costs
The 2025 average on-campus living costs is $27,112 including room & board and other living expenses (a student lives in on-campus housing such as dormitory and school-owned apartment). For students living in off-campus housing, the average living cost is $24,507.
The living cost at the school has increased by 12.31% from last year.
The following table and chart show the living costs changes over the last 5 years.
| Year | On-Campus | Off-Campus | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room & Board | Other Expenses | Room & Board | Other Expenses | |
| 2021 | $15,903 | $5,381 | $13,188 | $5,916 |
| 2022 | $16,699 | $5,287 | $13,803 | $5,837 |
| 2023 | $16,883 | $5,059 | $14,246 | $5,622 |
| 2024 | $18,684 | $5,456 | $15,416 | $6,076 |
| 2025 | $20,279 | $6,833 | $17,047 | $7,460 |
Books & Supplies Costs Trends Chart
The 2025 average cost for purchasing books & supplies is $1,381 at University of California-Santa Barbara. The books & supplies cost has decreased by 0.93% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 books & supplies costs and the trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Books & Supplies Costs |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,259 |
| 2022 | $1,317 |
| 2023 | $1,343 |
| 2024 | $1,482 |
| 2025 | $1,381 |