College comparison

UC Santa Barbara vs Illinois

A side-by-side of acceptance rate, test scores, and cost — source-cited estimates, not guarantees. Want the number that actually matters for your student? Model your admit odds at each.

Metric	UC Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA	Illinois Champaign, IL
Acceptance rateUniversity of California-Santa Barbara is more selective	33%	42%
SAT (25–75)	—	1310–1520
ACT (25–75)	—	—
Undergrad enrollment	23,113	36,258
Avg net price	$16,109	$14,355
Test policy	—	—
Type	Public	Public
Location	Santa Barbara, CA	Champaign, IL

Quick answers

Is University of California-Santa Barbara or University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign harder to get into?

University of California-Santa Barbara is more selective: University of California-Santa Barbara's acceptance rate is approximately 33% and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's is approximately 42% (estimates from public and primary sources).

What SAT score do you need for University of California-Santa Barbara vs University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

The middle-50% SAT range is — at University of California-Santa Barbara and 1310–1520 at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Scores outside these bands are still admitted, especially with strong applications.

Figures are estimates compiled from public datasets (College Scorecard / IPEDS) and primary sources; verify with each institution before relying on them.

These outputs are estimates from a baseline model — not guarantees of admission, cost, or outcome.