University of California-Santa Barbara Rankings by Salary Score™
Salary and Debt by Major at UC Santa Barbara
We calculated a Salary Score for each of UC Santa Barbara's programs by comparing program-specific median alumni earnings to median alumni earnings for the same program across all schools that provide this data. This way, students can compare the relative salary strength of a specific major at UC Santa Barbara to the same major at other schools. A school's overall score by level is based on the school's by-program performance weighted by student enrollment in each program. Data is sourced from the December 2020 release of the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and reflects median alumni debt upon graduation and median alumni earnings in the year after graduation for students who received federal financial aid. Debt and salary numbers are shown rounded to the nearest $10.
Salary Score ™ for UCSB Bachelor's Degrees
| Field of Study | Employment Rate | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | $15,000 | $32,250 | |
| Applied Mathematics | $20,610 | $46,090 | |
| Area Studies | $19,000 | $17,720 | |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $15,700 | $35,600 | |
| Biology, General | $18,210 | $34,160 | |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $20,100 | $25,190 | |
| Chemical Engineering | $15,500 | $61,520 | |
| Chemistry | $20,500 | $45,250 | |
| Communication and Media Studies | $15,000 | $45,310 | |
| Computer Engineering | $19,880 | $82,120 | |
| Computer Science | $18,250 | $91,740 | |
| Dance | Not Reported | $15,550 | |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $18,100 | $26,930 | |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | $17,770 | $25,190 | |
| Economics | $15,000 | $59,450 | |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering | $16,420 | $73,950 | |
| English Language and Literature, General | $17,370 | $29,960 | |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $17,300 | $28,870 | |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $17,170 | $29,140 | |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $19,000 | $25,190 | |
| Geography and Cartography | $17,000 | $41,940 | |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $19,130 | $37,210 | |
| History | $19,500 | $31,880 | |
| International/Global Studies | $15,850 | $37,790 | |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $16,500 | $29,690 | |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $13,000 | $55,960 | |
| Mathematics | $18,390 | $46,090 | |
| Mechanical Engineering | $19,100 | $66,260 | |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $22,000 | $38,340 | |
| Music | $20,000 | $29,690 | |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $15,500 | $34,280 | |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | $16,500 | $26,350 | |
| Philosophy | $15,000 | $36,940 | |
| Physics | $19,630 | $59,650 | |
| Political Science and Government | $15,330 | $37,960 | |
| Religion/Religious Studies | $14,700 | $26,740 | |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $15,000 | $31,400 | |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $17,330 | $32,630 | |
| Sociology | $14,920 | $30,240 | |
| Statistics | $17,350 | $50,000 | |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | $15,000 | $28,060 |
Salary Score ™ for UCSB Master's Degrees
| Field of Study | Employment Rate | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Not Reported | $79,280 | |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $32,500 | $56,420 |
Salary Score ™ for UCSB Doctoral Degrees
| Field of Study | Employment Rate | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Not Reported | $87,750 | |
| Education, General | Not Reported | $67,320 | |
| Physics | Not Reported | $84,650 | |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | Not Reported | $73,470 |
Most Recent Reviews
I thought both of the programs were very weak. I was accepted as a math major, and I was struggling. I like art, but in reflection with my student loans that I still have, I don't think I really learned anything striking. Teachers sat back and maybe one global studies class was interesting that I still remember. I did not find all of that information to be true, so I was stuck on the biases being spread in lectures.
I attended UCSB for 4 years. Overall once I found a good group of friends my experience was great. I was born and raised in a hispanic community, went to a predominantly hispanic high school therefore moving to Santa Barbara, CA and being immersed in a predominately caucasian environment was a little bit of a culture shock. It would be great to see more diversity amongst the student population and faculty. As far as faculty goes, I had a great experience with all professors. UCSB Is very large school therefore... Read More
Adjusting to college level courses was a little bit difficult for me. I received 2 C's first year. I started college wanting to go to medical school, I knew the Cs on my transcript were not good however I knew I still had time to make it up by working hard and receiving good grades in the rest of my med school prerequisites, the counselors did not see it this way. Of about 4-5 counselors that I went to see all but 1 were very discouraging of my chances of getting into any PA or medical program. Instead of saying "it might be a little more difficult, but here is what you can do to improve your chances" they all told me to find another career path. I start PA school in two days. My advice is that no matter who you are getting advice from take it with a grain of salt and continue to work hard towards your goals. Good luck in college! Enjoy every second because it flies by!