University of California-Irvine vs University of California-Santa Barbara

University of California-Irvine and University of California-Santa Barbara are both well-regarded institutions, but they differ in important ways. Here's how they compare across key dimensions.

Admissions: University of California-Irvine is more selective with a 25.6% acceptance rate compared to University of California-Santa Barbara's 27.8%.

Cost: University of California-Irvine offers a lower average net price at $12,840, which is $985 less than University of California-Santa Barbara ($13,825). After financial aid, this can make a significant difference over 4 years.

Career Outcomes: Graduates from University of California-Irvine earn a median salary of $80,735 ten years after enrollment, which is $5,820 more than University of California-Santa Barbara graduates ($74,915).

Graduation: University of California-Irvine leads with a 86.3% graduation rate, and freshman retention rates are 93.8% vs 91.9%.

Campus Size: University of California-Irvine is the larger campus with 29,494 total students, while University of California-Santa Barbara has 23,205.

Bottom Line: University of California-Irvine stands out as both more affordable and producing higher-earning graduates — making it the stronger value proposition overall.