University of California-Santa Barbara Reviews

"Unfortunately there were doctoral level programs on campus which were fledgling and the professors had little experience with advising dissertations and were uncertain about what the specific requirements should be. They also notoriously did not know the rules of graduate division and on their part thought they could break any rules they wanted with a care to how it might affect the student. The classes themselves were fairly mediocre but that goes without saying. The teaching experience you received also depended solely on what was convenient for the department at the moment and not what would help build your CV and skills. A lot also depended on who your adviser was and not merit. Always check carefully the track record of your adviser.Read Less"

"UCSB changed my life. Over four years, the school encouraged me to obtain three majors, study abroad in London for a year, and grow as a leader. The beautiful campus and its warm weather encouraged great discussions with faculty and friends. Plus as a California resident, the cost was affordable and the location close to my family. I would go back to UCSB in a heartbeat."

"Undergrads partied a lot, but graduate school engineering is top notch."

"Although there needs to be more diversity and I am hoping UCSB is providing opportunities and resources for more students or color to apply, I enjoyed my time at UCSB. I met great people and some of them are my best friends now. The sociology department was amazing. I also minored in English. The professors provided an in-depth knowledge and analysis of the material that was stunning. I learned a lot and because of the classes I took, it led me to my career path-- working as a college advisor, who is going back to school for a masters in public policy. I loved all of my classes in particular the classes which discussed race, racism, and ethnicity, I even studied abroad to continue learning about these topics in a new surrounding and to gain a different perspective. UCSB provided great opportunities for me.Read Less"

"What I appreciated the most about UCSB was that it looked beyond academics and truly pushed students to belong to a club, campus organization, internship, on campus job, etc. My first year at UCSB, I took a "Intro to University" course that taught all about the resources available to campus, how I should take on out of the classroom experience, and allowed me to network with other first year students. From that course, I then decided to take on internships and on campus jobs that led me to obtain the jobs I have had post graduation. Another aspect of UCSB that I loved was the "think outside the box" mentality that comes with attending a research university. Instead of learning HOW to do something, we were asked to consider WHY we do something. Instead of learning 2+2=4. we learned to ask how and why 2+2=4. The professors we had were top in their field and allowed for the opportunity for students to ask questions, be engaged, and ultimately become experts themselves.Read Less"

"Having initially been pre-med and then going into Zoology I feel that I was able to go through a wide expanse of classes that would be able to help me in medical school. I was also able to enjoy nature through this program and have visited some of the UC natural reserve locations that are blocked off to the general public. Furthermore, I was able to get greatly involved in many extracurricular activities and feel like I was a part of the city that became my family. Greatest experience in life so far has been going to this college.Read Less"

"Santa Barbara is a great school and its professors are all top notch. There are many research opportunities which contribute more to your future career than any class could so definitely take advantage of this. SB prides itself as a research university, and working in a laboratory setting is the most exciting and fulfilling experience you could get. Your classmates are generally very friendly and it is also wise to try to find friends to study with and share study material--makes life tons more fun and you get more out of your study especially with upper division classes.Read Less"

"UCSB was such a wonderful experience. I graduated with a BA in Sociology and a minor in LGBTQ Studies. The professors were always willing to help students in any way they could, from helping with class material to even talking about everyday life. I am still in contact with one of my sociology professors who wrote me a letter of recommendation for graduate school, to which I was just recently accepted. UCSB was a very diverse school and all the students were very welcoming and nice. I feel that I received a wonderful education and graduated as a stronger, well rounded, and more knowledgeable individual. I loved this school because of its diversity, the professors were amazing, the location was beautiful, and the education I received was more than worth it. I will always be a Gaucho and I recommend UCSB to all those applying for college!Read Less"

"MY EXPERIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA GREATLY ENHANCED MY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. THE SCHOOL PROVIDED GREAT EDUCATION AND A WONDERFUL SOCIAL ATMOSPHERE. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SCHOOL TO ANYONE. THE ECONOMICS PROGRAM WAS WELL RUN AND SET ME UP WELL IN MY CAREER."

"I'm fascinated by the student diversity on campus, diversity was a highlight in my personal selection criteria. My desire was to attend a school that embraced divers walks of life and when I found out that University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) strives to to embraced diversity, there and then I knew UCSB was for me."

"Great learning environment, great faculty. I would definitely recommend."

"The program was very rigorous and prepared me well for my future career."

"UCSB was a great school. The mechanical engineering teachers were very knowledgeable and a good handful had experience in industry. They brought theory and application together topped with experience. There are a variety of classes to choose from where you can try out different subjects or focus on a specific area. Beautiful campus and a challenging but layers back environment."

"Ucsb was such a great school. It is very diverse and amazing. The itself school is beautiful and had so many things to do. Everyone is friendly and it is a community who cares about one another. It is always sunny and beautiful that takes your breath away."

"I truly loved my experience at the University, but I do not feel like it qualified me for a career. I wish that there would have been more opportunities while I was in school to learn about careers and which paths that I could take. I think college is a great idea as long as you really know what you want to do and that degree will help you get there."

"UCSB is has many professors who love what they teach. Lectures rooms are big but are broken down into sections with TAs who have 20 students. Access card is required to go into most building so overall a safe campus. There are handfuls of resources provided to help a student succeed, for example (Student resource building, CLAS, career center, job fairs etc.)"

"UCSB has the perfect combination of academics and location. The staff is excellent and the campus is unparalleled in it's beauty and social scene"

"Overall, I think it is a good school academically, especially the accounting/business economics program. It is also nice that it is on the beach, so many of the dorms have beach views. A lot of the student apartments are right on the beach as well. It is convenient that Isla Vista, the college town, is right next door to the college, so you can just bike to get to class. The one bad thing is the party atmosphere, which is still out of control, and the reputation it brings with it to your degree."

"The Global Studies program at UCSB was a pioneer in implementing an interdisciplinary approach to studying the effects of globalization. By utilizing the various departments at UCSB such as Economics, Psychology, International Relations, Politics, Law, Religion, and others the degree program is poised to include a diverse amount of content, thus exciting a multitude of ideas and interdepartmental discussions."

"You cannot beat the value of what this college costs and the quality of the teaching/classes. The culture is unique and a fun place to go to college."