Eligibility and Selection

Attaining eligibility means meeting the minimum requirements to be admitted to UC Santa Barbara. However, meeting minimum eligibility does not assure admission. When UCSB cannot admit all eligible applicants, we use standards called "selection criteria" to select students who are more competitive than the minimum requirements.

Eligibility Requirements

image of two students chatting in front of an art mural." width="2340" height="1560" />

1. Subject Requirement

Students must successfully complete UC-approved courses in the A-G subject areas with a 'C' grade or better.* If you attend a California high school, check that the classes you take are on your school’s UC Certified Course List by referencing the A-G Course List resource website.

*UC has temporarily suspended the letter grade requirement for A-G courses completed in winter 2020 through summer 2021 for all students. A-G courses completed in these terms with Pass (P) or Credit (CR) grades will satisfy appropriate A-G requirements.

2. Grade Point Requirement

Students must earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 (3.4 for non-California residents) in all A-G courses. Only the grades you earn in A-G subjects in the tenth and eleventh grades – including summer sessions – are used to calculate your preliminary GPA.* Courses you took in the ninth and twelfth grades can be used to meet A-G subject requirements if you earned a grade of C or better, but they will not be used to calculate your GPA.

*UC has temporarily suspended the letter grade requirement for A-G courses completed in winter 2020 through summer 2021 for all students. A-G courses completed in these terms with Pass (P) or Credit (CR) grades will satisfy appropriate A-G requirements.

3. Personal Life Accomplishments

UCSB doesn't just look at academic accomplishments to bring in our freshman class. We look at your extracurricular activities and accomplishments in light of the opportunities available to you. Learn how applications are reviewed.

A Note on ACT & SAT Exams

UCSB will not use SAT/ACT scores in our admission decisions or scholarship selection process. If you are admitted and choose to enroll at UCSB, exam scores may be used for course placement. For details on the UC system, visit the UC Exam Requirement page.

Selection Criteria

Admitted applicants exceed the admission eligibility requirements above. UCSB considers 13 holistic review factors to review your achievements and personal qualities in the context of the opportunities and/or challenges you have experienced. We do not compare your application with any other applicant, regardless of school or location.

Evaluation by College & Supplemental Applications

• College of Letters and Science: Choice of major is not considered and a supplemental application is not required except if you're applying to dance or music performance majors, which require applicants to complete an audition in late January or early February.
• College of Engineering: Due to high demand for all Engineering programs, we will not consider alternate Engineering major choices. Students should select a major within the College of Letters and Science if they'd like to be considered for an alternate major. If after submitting a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) space should open within Engineering, eligible students would be contacted and given the option to change. Historically, very few changes per year are offered.
• College of Creative Studies: All applicants must submit a supplemental application, which is reviewed by Creative Studies faculty, in addition to the general UC application. Be sure to select a second choice major outside of Creative Studies on your application: if you're not selected for Creative Studies you will also be reviewed for your second choice major if one was selected.