Quad
U. California-Santa Barbara
UCLA

Key differences on Students & campus

  1. 1

    UCLA is a bit larger (33,475 vs. 23,113)

    Undergrads
  2. 2

    U. California-Santa Barbara has 4 pts more first-gen students than UCLA (42% vs. 38%)

    First-generation students
  3. 3

    UCLA is more diverse (index 0.78 vs. 0.78)

    Diversity index

Students

Students & campus

Who's on each campus, how many get Pell Grants or are the first in their family, and campus life.

Who's on campus

Undergrads
U. California-Santa Barbara23.1K
UCLA33.5K
Pell Grant share
U. California-Santa Barbara28%
UCLA28%
First-gen share
U. California-Santa Barbara42%
UCLA38%
Diversity index
U. California-Santa Barbara0.78
UCLA0.78

Who they are

Men
U. California-Santa Barbara42%
UCLA40%
Part-time students
U. California-Santa Barbara2%
UCLA2%
Students 25 and older
U. California-Santa Barbara2%
UCLA3%

Race & ethnicity

U. California-Santa Barbara
UCLA
  • White
  • Asian
  • Hispanic/Latino
  • Black
  • Two or more
  • International
  • Other/unknown

Where they're from

First-years from in state
U. California-Santa Barbara82%
UCLA79%
First-years from other states
U. California-Santa Barbara9%
UCLA12%
First-years from abroad
U. California-Santa Barbara9%
UCLA9%
New transfer students this fall
U. California-Santa Barbara2,109
UCLA3,834
Transfers, share of new undergraduates
U. California-Santa Barbara30%
UCLA37%

Campus

U. California-Santa Barbara
Midsize suburbNCAA D-I · Big West ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research
UCLA
Large cityNCAA D-I FBS · Big Ten ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research

LGBTQ+ policies

Each item is dated: either the college's own page, checked on that date, or a national list's claim, read on that date — never a plain “yes” or “no.” A key missing for a college isn't shown as “no”: nothing was found for it.

PolicyU. California-Santa BarbaraUCLA
Nondiscrimination policy covers gender identity or expressionNondiscrimination policy covers gender identity or expression: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)Nondiscrimination policy covers gender identity or expression: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)
Gender-inclusive housingGender-inclusive housing: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)Gender-inclusive housing: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)
Chosen name and pronouns on campus recordsChosen name and pronouns on campus records: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)Chosen name and pronouns on campus records, per the college's own page (checked 2026-10-04)
Gender-inclusive restrooms listed onlineGender-inclusive restrooms listed online: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)Gender-inclusive restrooms listed online, per the college's own page (checked 2026-10-04)
Student health plan covers transition-related careStudent health plan covers transition-related care: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)Student health plan covers transition-related care: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)

All student numbers in the table

Sources:College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level), Fall 2024;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why