Santa Barbara City College
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 31.1× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $31.1 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $31.1 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,361,251.
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What The Data Says
A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
Graduation of 34% — 40% below the national average.
Every $1 invested returns $31.1 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
Why Santa Barbara City College Matters
Santa Barbara City College is a public community college in Santa Barbara, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Community College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 9,889
- Setting
- Urban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Social Sciences, Business & Marketing, Communications
Why students choose Santa Barbara City College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $11,315 a year after grants and scholarships — 34% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $47,647 ten years after enrolling — 17% above the typical college, against $11,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.8% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 35% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.45 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Nearly 10,000 students choose Santa Barbara City College every year for its community-centered approach to education. The college focuses on providing accessible pathways to higher learning, catering to a diverse student population. With a graduation rate of 34%, it reflects the challenges many students face in completing their degrees.
Data from Opportunity Insights shows that while mobility metrics are not disclosed, the college serves a significant number of students from low-income backgrounds. With 18% of students receiving Pell Grants, SBCC plays a vital role in supporting those who may need financial assistance. The earnings of graduates after ten years average $47,647, suggesting that a degree from this institution can lead to a stable income.
The net price of attendance is $11,315, making it a relatively affordable option in California. With a median debt of $11,000, students can graduate with manageable financial obligations. Those who thrive here often pursue programs in Humanities, Social Sciences, Business & Marketing, Communications, and Health Professions, aligning their studies with the demands of the workforce.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Santa Barbara City College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Santa Barbara City College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Santa Barbara City College, located in Santa Barbara, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The school reports a graduation rate of roughly 34%.
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Santa Barbara City College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
When weighing the true cost of attending Santa Barbara City College, prospective students should look past the published sticker price of $10,432 in tuition. The figure that matters more is the average net price — the actual out-of-pocket cost after federal grants, institutional scholarships, and student loans — which works out to about $11,315 for families who qualify for aid. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,333 after need-based grants. Graduates leave with a median federal student-loan debt of about $11,000.
What Families Actually Pay
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Santa Barbara City College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Santa Barbara City College earn a median of $47,647, roughly in line with national averages for graduates.
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
How Santa Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Santa Barbara City College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Santa Barbara City College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $11,315/year ($45,260 total). Graduates earn $47,647 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,406,511 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,361,251 (31.1× your investment). The median debt is $11,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 34% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Santa Barbara City College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Santa Barbara City College is a genuine engine of upward mobility: its mobility rate — the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top — is 1.80%, well above the typical college. About 9.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 18.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $86,100, a useful read on the campus's socioeconomic mix.
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Santa Barbara City College produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 23 patents tied to its graduates.
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
Top Programs
The fields Santa Barbara City College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Each links to its degree guide — with salary, growth, and the schools with the strongest outcomes.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Santa Barbara City College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Santa Barbara City College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements +
Santa Barbara City College, located in Santa Barbara, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The school reports a graduation rate of roughly 34%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Santa Barbara City College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid +
When weighing the true cost of attending Santa Barbara City College, prospective students should look past the published sticker price of $10,432 in tuition. The figure that matters more is the average net price — the actual out-of-pocket cost after federal grants, institutional scholarships, and student loans — which works out to about $11,315 for families who qualify for aid. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,333 after need-based grants. Graduates leave with a median federal student-loan debt of about $11,000.
Is Santa Barbara City College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI +
Ten years out, alumni of Santa Barbara City College earn a median of $47,647, roughly in line with national averages for graduates.
Does Santa Barbara City College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes +
Santa Barbara City College is a genuine engine of upward mobility: its mobility rate — the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top — is 1.80%, well above the typical college. About 9.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 18.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $86,100, a useful read on the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Santa Barbara City College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks +
Social capital — the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility — runs high at Santa Barbara City College, with an economic connectedness score of 1.45 (about 1.0 is the national norm). Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.08). Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Santa Barbara City College.
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Santa Barbara City College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital — the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility — runs high at Santa Barbara City College, with an economic connectedness score of 1.45 (about 1.0 is the national norm). Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.08). Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note