Location
- University of California-Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara, CA
- University of California-Irvine
- Irvine, CA
University of California-Santa Barbara vs University of California-Irvine
Santa Barbara, CA · Irvine, CA · largest Scorecard gap: acceptance rate
Scorecard match plate
Pair CA:CA
PUBLIC-PAIR · SAME-STATE · ACCEPT-PAR · NET-SPLIT · EARN-PAR · DEBT-PAR · COMPLETE-HIGH · GAP-ACCEPT
- PUBLIC-PAIR Public pair
- SAME-STATE Same state · CA
- ACCEPT-PAR Admission near-par
- NET-SPLIT Net-price split
- EARN-PAR Earnings near-par
- DEBT-PAR Debt near-par
- COMPLETE-HIGH High completion
- GAP-ACCEPT Largest gap · Acceptance Rate
Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the ENROLL-RACE · narrow · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.
Decade path · College Scorecard
Nearly parallel enrollment growth
ENROLL-RACE · narrow · 2013–2023
Undergraduate headcount rose at both University of California-Santa Barbara and University of California-Irvine across 2013–2023 on similar paces, while acceptance rates tightened on both sides, a growth-under-squeeze pattern rather than a pure size race.
- University of California-Irvine: enrollment grew +25.4% over 2013–2023; fitted +590 students/yr fitted, r² 0.66.
- University of California-Santa Barbara: enrollment grew +19.8% over 2013–2023; fitted +397 students/yr fitted, r² 0.83.
- University of California-Santa Barbara: acceptance rate tightened -37.5% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.63).
- University of California-Irvine: acceptance rate tightened -39.7% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.82).
College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.
Scorecard metrics
Undergraduate Enrollment
Acceptance Rate
Avg Net Price
- University of California-Irvine
- $14,251
Median Earnings (10 yr)
- University of California-Irvine
- $80,735
Median Debt at Graduation
- University of California-Irvine
- $15,000
In-State Tuition
- University of California-Irvine
- $15,722
Loan Repayment Rate (Completers)
150%-Time Completion
Out-of-State Tuition
- University of California-Irvine
- $49,922
Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.
| Metric | University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Santa Barbara, CA | Irvine, CA |
| Undergraduate Enrollment | 23,113 | 30,197 |
| Acceptance Rate | 33.0% | 28.6% |
| Avg Net Price | $16,109 | $14,251 |
| Median Earnings (10 yr) | $74,915 | $80,735 |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $13,993 | $15,000 |
| In-State Tuition | $16,414 | $15,722 |
| Loan Repayment Rate (Completers) | 79.3% | 82.7% |
| 150%-Time Completion | 84.3% | 86.4% |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $50,614 | $49,922 |
Largest gaps: University of California-Santa Barbara vs University of California-Irvine
- ACCEPTANCE-RATE University of California-Irvine leads on acceptance rate (28.6% vs 33.0% at University of California-Santa Barbara)
- AVG-NET-PRICE University of California-Irvine leads on avg net price ($14,251 vs $16,109 at University of California-Santa Barbara)
- MEDIAN-EARNINGS-(1 University of California-Irvine leads on median earnings (10 yr) ($80,735 vs $74,915 at University of California-Santa Barbara)
University of California-Santa Barbara profile · University of California-Irvine profile · Compare other colleges
Acceptance Rate and other Scorecard questions
On acceptance rate, who leads between University of California-Santa Barbara and University of California-Irvine?▼
University of California-Irvine leads on acceptance rate at 28.6% versus 33.0% at University of California-Santa Barbara. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On avg net price, who leads between University of California-Santa Barbara and University of California-Irvine?▼
University of California-Irvine leads on avg net price at $14,251 versus $16,109 at University of California-Santa Barbara. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median earnings (10 yr), who leads between University of California-Santa Barbara and University of California-Irvine?▼
University of California-Irvine leads on median earnings (10 yr) at $80,735 versus $74,915 at University of California-Santa Barbara. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); acceptance rate focus for this pair · 2025