Santa Barbara is located 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Situated right on the coast between the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez mountains, Santa Barbara is known for its beautiful natural environment and Spanish heritage. The city boasts excellent outdoor recreation with access to shopping, restaurants, movies, music, festivals, outdoor farmer's markets, and more.

This is a student on a skateboard in Isla Vista.

Isla Vista

Isla Vista is the community located directly adjacent to the UCSB campus. The majority of Isla Vista residents are UC Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College students, so the community is filled with apartments, restaurants, and parks. It also sits right on the beach so some students have ocean views outside their window.

This is an aerial of Santa Barbara, CA.

Santa Barbara

Located about 10 minutes from campus down Hwy. 101, Santa Barbara is a stunning seaside town of roughly 91,000 residents. UCSB students can enjoy shopping on State Street, the eclectic Funk Zone, and venues like the Santa Barbara bowl that draw national artists and performers. Santa Barbara is also a diverse cultural hub, and the city celebrates its heritage each year during the week-long Old Spanish Days, also known as Fiesta. 

Soaring Over UCSB

Get a unique aerial look at our stunning natural environment. Can you imagine calling UCSB home? 

 

Sun & Sand

With 283 average days of sun, Santa Barbara is the ultimate place to spend your college years. Often called the "American Riviera" due to its similarities to the French Riviera, the area is known for luxury travel, beaches, artists, and boating. 

 

Getting to Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is accessible by Amtrak, the Santa Barbara airport, and Hwy. 101. Traveling farther? Santa Barbara is about two hours from the LAX airport.

 

Transportation Options

Biking is the main form of transportation on campus with seven miles of bike paths. Students also have access to bus transportation to and from campus, Isla Vista, Goleta, and Santa Barbara included in their student fees.

 

Internship Access

As the biggest university in the area, UCSB students have access to great internship opportunities in the area in local schools, law offices, local hospitals and clinics, and more.