UCSB Acceptance Rate: Class of 2030 (Latest)

The acceptance rate at UC Santa Barbara is 33.0% for the Class of 2028, showing an upward trend from the 27.8% rate the year before. While Class of 2030 figures are not out yet, the most recent applicant pool stood at 110,266 students. From that group, the university admitted 36,347 candidates to yield a final enrolled class of 5,008.

UCSB Acceptance Rate: Class of 2028

Official Class of 2030 figures are not public yet. The most recent cycle with Common Data Set numbers is the Class of 2028, when UCSB admitted 36,347 of 110,266 applicants, an acceptance rate of 33.0%.[1] This page is updated as soon as the Class of 2030 figures are published.

UCSB Acceptance Rate by Year

Across the 6 cycles with official figures, the acceptance rate has risen from 29.6% (Class of 2023) to 33.0% (Class of 2028).[1]

Class	Applied	Admitted	Acceptance rate
2028	110,266	36,347	33.0%
2027	110,876	30,805	27.8%
2026	111,006	28,689	25.8%
2025	105,647	30,823	29.2%
2024	90,963	33,385	36.7%
2023	93,457	27,626	29.6%

UCSB Waitlist Statistics

For the Class of 2028, UCSB offered a waitlist place to 15,958 applicants, of whom 10,641 accepted it, and 8,715 were ultimately admitted.[1] That is a 81.9% admit rate among students who stayed on the list.

Class	Offered a place	Accepted a place	Admitted off the waitlist
2028	15,958	10,641	8,715
2027	15,689	9,670	5,493
2026	16,340	10,163	2,793
2025	14,076	9,762	2,093
2024	9,885	6,342	6,103
2023	8,863	5,866	603

Admitted Student Test Scores (Class of 2024)

The middle 50% of enrolled students scored:[1]

• SAT (combined mid-50%): 1230–1480 (EBRW 620–720, Math 610–760)
• ACT composite (mid-50%): 26–33

The combined SAT range is the sum of the two section ranges, not a true composite percentile.

UCSB Yield Rate

Of the 36,347 students admitted to the Class of 2028, 5,008 enrolled, a yield rate of 13.8%.[1] Yield is what the university is really managing when it sets an admit rate, so it moves the acceptance rate more than application volume does.

Class	Admitted	Enrolled	Yield
2028	36,347	5,008	13.8%
2027	30,805	5,043	16.4%
2026	28,689	4,968	17.3%
2025	30,823	4,898	15.9%
2024	33,385	4,847	14.5%
2023	27,626	4,935	17.9%

What to Expect for the Class of 2030

Over the three most recent official classes (2026–2028) the acceptance rate at UCSB has sat between 25.8%–33.0%.

That band is what the school has actually done recently, not a prediction. A single cycle can break it: a change to testing policy, a new direct-admission program, or a jump in application volume moves the rate more than any trend would.

What This Means for Your Application

• Expect a large pool: Your application needs to stand out among the 110,266 total applications submitted for the Class of 2028.
• Opt into waitlists: UC Santa Barbara admitted an impressive 8,715 waitlisted applicants for the Class of 2028.
• Review historical test scores: The middle half of accepted students held combined SAT scores between 1230 and 1480 or ACT composites between 26 and 33.
• Consider yield trends: The university saw a 13.8% yield rate for the Class of 2028 as many admitted students chose to enroll elsewhere.