TheUniversity of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara orUCSB) is apublicland-grantresearch university inSanta Barbara County, California, United States.^[11] Tracing its roots back to 1891 as an independent teachers college, UC Santa Barbara joined theUniversity of California system in 1944. It is the third-oldest campus in the system, afterUC Berkeley andUCLA.

University of California,Santa Barbara

Former names	Anna Blake Sloyd School (1891–1899) Anna Blake Manual Training School (1899–1909) Santa Barbara State Normal School (1909–1921) Santa Barbara State College (1921–1944) Santa Barbara College of the University of California (1944–1958)
Motto	Fiat lux (Latin)
Motto in English	'Let there be light'
Type	Publicland-grantresearch university
Established	1891; 134 years ago (1891) (1944 as a UC campus[1])
Parent institution	University of California
Accreditation	WSCUC
Academic affiliations	AAU APRU UARC URA Space-grant
Endowment	$578.76 million (2023)[2]
Budget	$1.032 billion (2023)[3]
Chancellor	David Marshall (interim)
Academic staff	2,749 (fall 2018)[4]
Students	26,179 (fall 2020)[5]
Undergraduates	23,196 (fall 2020)[5]
Postgraduates	2,983 (fall 2020)[5]
Location	Santa Barbara , California , United States 34°24′59″N119°50′47″W / 34.41639°N 119.84639°W /34.41639; -119.84639[6]
Campus	Midsize suburb[8], 1,127 acres (456 ha)[7]
Newspaper	Daily Nexus
Colors	Navy and gold[9]
Nickname	Gauchos
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I –Big West MPSF GCC
Mascot	Olé the Gaucho[10]
Website	ucsb.edu

UCSB's campus sits on the oceanfront site of a convertedWWII-eraMarine Corps air station.^[12] UCSB is organized into three undergraduate colleges (Letters and Science,Engineering,Creative Studies) and two graduate schools (Education andEnvironmental Science & Management), offering more than 200 degrees and programs. It isclassified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is regarded as aPublic Ivy.^[13] The university has 12 national research centers and institutes,^[14] including theKavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and NSF Quantum Foundry.^[15] According to theNational Science Foundation, UC Santa Barbara spent $305.48 million on research and development in fiscal year 2023, ranking it 105th in the nation.^[16] UCSB was the No. 3 host on theARPAnet and was elected to theAssociation of American Universities in 1995.

UCSB alumni, faculty, and researchers have included 7Nobel Prize laureates, founders of 90+ companies, 1Fields Medalist, 50 members of theNational Academy of Sciences,^[17] 34 members of theNational Academy of Engineering, and 56 members of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences.^[18] The faculty also includes two Academy and Emmy Award winners and recipients of aMillennium Technology Prize, anIEEE Medal of Honor, aNational Medal of Technology and Innovation and aBreakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

UCSB traces its origins back to theAnna Blake School, which was founded in 1891, and offered training in home economics and industrial arts.^[19][20] The Anna Blake School was taken over by the state in 1909 and became theSanta Barbara State Normal School, which then became theSanta Barbara State College in 1921.^[21]

In 1944, intense lobbying by an interest group in the City of Santa Barbara led byThomas Storke andPearl Chase persuaded the State Legislature, Gov.Earl Warren, and theRegents of the University of California to move the State College over to the more research-oriented University of California system. TheState College system sued to stop the takeover, but the governor did not support the suit. A state constitutional amendment was passed in 1946 to stop subsequent conversions of State Colleges to University of California campuses.^[22][23]

From 1944 to 1958, the school was known asSanta Barbara College of the University of California, before taking on its current name. When the vacated Marine Corps training station in Goleta was purchased for the rapidly growing college,Santa Barbara City College moved into the vacated State College buildings.^[24]

Originally, the regents envisioned a small, several thousand–student liberal arts college, a so-called "Williams College of the West", at Santa Barbara. Chronologically, UCSB is the third general-education campus of the University of California, afterBerkeley andUCLA (the only other state campus to have been acquired by the UC system). The original campus the regents acquired in Santa Barbara was located on only 100 acres (40 ha) of largely unusable land on a seaside mesa. The availability of a 400-acre (160 ha) portion of the land used asMarine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara until 1946 on another seaside mesa inGoleta, which the regents could acquire for free from the federal government, led to that site becoming the Santa Barbara campus in 1949.

Originally, only 3000–3500 students were anticipated, but the post-WWIIbaby boom led to the designation of a general campus in 1958, along with a name change from "Santa Barbara College" to "University of California, Santa Barbara," and the discontinuation of the industrial arts program for which the state college was famous. Achancellor, Samuel B. Gould, was appointed in 1959.

In 1959, UCSB professor Douwe Stuurman hosted the English writerAldous Huxley as the university's first visiting professor.^[25] Huxley delivered a lectures series called "The Human Situation".^[26]

In the late '60s and early '70s, UCSB became nationally known as a hotbed of anti–Vietnam War activity. A bombing at the school's faculty club in 1969 killed the caretaker, Dover Sharp. In the spring of 1970, multiple occasions ofarson occurred, including a burning of theBank of America branch building in the student community ofIsla Vista, during which time one male student, Kevin Moran, was shot and killed by police.^[27] UCSB's anti-Vietnam activity impelled then-Gov.Ronald Reagan to impose acurfew and order theNational Guard to enforce it. Armed guardsmen were common on campus and in Isla Vista during this time.

In 1968, twelve black studentsoccupied North Hall — temporarily renaming itMalcolm X Hall — to force the Chancellor Vernon Cheadle and the administration to acknowledge the marginalization needs of black students. The university answered the demands of the group by creating the Department of Black Studies.^[28][29][30]

In 1995, UCSB was elected to theAssociation of American Universities, an organization of leading research universities, with a membership consisting of 59 universities in the United States (bothpublic andprivate) and two universities in Canada.

On May 23, 2014,a killing spree occurred inIsla Vista, California, a community near the campus. All six people killed during the rampage were students at UCSB.^[31] Themurderer was a formerSanta Barbara City College student who lived in Isla Vista.

Santa Barbara State College was under the supervision of a President.^[32][33]

In 1944, the college became affiliated with theUniversity of California. The school name was changed to the Santa Barbara College of the University of California. The title of the campus leader was changed to Provost.^[32][33]

In September 1958, theRegents of the University of California established Santa Barbara as a full campus of the University of California. The school was renamed the University of California, Santa Barbara. The official title of the campus leader was changed to Chancellor.^[32][33]

Henry T. Yang served as the5th chancellor of the University of California, Santa Barbara from June 23, 1994, to June 14, 2025.^[34] With 31 years in office, he is the longest-serving chancellor in the University of California history.^[35] After leaving the chancellor's office, Yang continues to serve as a professor of mechanical engineering at theUC Santa Barbara College of Engineering.^[34][36]

On June 16, 2025, UC president Michael Drake named David Marshall, the then-executive vice chancellor and provost of UC Santa Barbara, as the interim chancellor, while the search for a new chancellor continued.^[37]

UCSB is located on cliffs directly above the Pacific Ocean. UCSB's campus is completely autonomous from local government and has not been annexed by the city ofSanta Barbara, and thus is not part of the city.^[38][39] While it appears closer to the recently formed city ofGoleta, a parcel of the City of Santa Barbara that forms a strip of "city" through the ocean to the Santa Barbara airport, runs through the east entrance to the university campus. Although UCSB has a Santa Barbara mailing address, as do other unincorporated areas around the city, only this entry parcel is in the Santa Barbara city limits. The campus is divided into four parts: the Main (East) Campus of 708 acres (287 ha), which houses all academic units, plus the majority of undergraduate housing; Storke Campus; West Campus; and North Campus. The campuses surround the unincorporated community ofIsla Vista.

UCSB is one of the few universities in the United States with its own beach. The campus, bordered on two sides by the Pacific Ocean, has miles of coastline, its own lagoon, and the rocky extension,Goleta Point, which is also known as "Campus Point". The campus has numerous walking and bicycle paths across campus, around the lagoon, and along the beach. It also owns and manages the Coal Oil Point nature preserve on the West Campus.^[40]

Much of the campus's early architecture was designed by famed architectWilliam Pereira and his partnerCharles Luckman and made heavy use of custom tinted and patterned concrete blocks. This design element was carried over into many of the school's subsequent buildings.

TheUCSB Libraries, consisting of the Davidson Library and the Arts Library, hold more than three million bound volumes^[41] and millions ofmicroforms, government documents, manuscripts, maps, satellite and aerial images, sound recordings, and other materials. Situated at the center of campus, the Davidson Library in June 2013 broke ground on a significant addition and renovation project, which was completed in November 2015 with re-opening to the public in January 2016.^[42]

Campbell Hall is the university's largest lecture hall with 862 seats. It's also the main venue for the UCSB Arts & Lectures series, which presents special performances, films, and lectures for the UCSB campus and Santa Barbara community.^[43]

Storke Tower, completed in 1969, is the tallest steel/cement structure inSanta Barbara County. It can be seen from most places on campus, and it overlooks Storke Plaza. It is home to a five-octave, 61-bellcarillon.KCSB 91.9 and theDaily Nexus have headquarters beneath Storke Tower.

The UCSB Family Vacation Center, founded in 1969, is a summer family camp located on campus that draws over 2,000 guests each summer.^[44] The staff of over 50 includes many UCSB students who have been extensively trained as camp counselors.

UCSB is known for its extensive biking system. A recent survey says that 53% of UCSB students get around by cycling.^[45]

UC Santa Barbara is a large, comprehensive, primarily residential doctoral university.^[46] The full-time, four-year undergraduate program comprises the majority of enrollments and has a liberal arts & sciences focus with high graduate coexistence.^[46] UCSB is organized into five colleges and schools offering 87 undergraduate degrees and 55 graduate degrees. The campus is the sixth-largest in the UC system by enrollment with 18,620 undergraduate and 3,065 graduate students. In 2015, UCSB was designated aHispanic-Serving Institution.^[47]

Admission to UC Santa Barbara is rated as "most selective" byU.S. News & World Report.^[49] UC Santa Barbara no longer uses SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions or for scholarships.^[50]

UC Santa Barbara had an acceptance rate of 33.0% for the 2024 incoming freshman class. 110,266 applied, 36,347 were admitted, and 5,008 enrolled. The average High School GPA was 4.3.^[48]

According to the UCSB Office of Research, UC Santa Barbara budgeted $235.3 million on research and development in fiscal 2020, with the National Science Foundation contributing $60.5 million; Department of Defense-$40 million; UC General Fund-$28 million; Industry- $19.5 million; National Institutes of Health-$17 million; Department of Energy-$9 million; Non-Profit-$8.7 million; Other-$20 million.^[51] Corporate research partners in the College of Engineering include military contractors Raytheon Vision Systems, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.^{[52][53][54][55]}

From 2005 to 2009, UCSB was ranked fourth in terms of relative citation impact in the U.S. (behindMIT,Caltech, andPrinceton University) according toThomson Reuters.^[56][57]

UCSB hosts 12 National Research Centers, including theKavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, theNational Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, theSouthern California Earthquake Center, theUCSB Center for Spatial Studies, an affiliate of theNational Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, and theCalifornia Nanosystems Institute. Eight of these centers are supported by the National Science Foundation.^[14] UCSB is also home toMicrosoft Station Q, a research group working ontopological quantum computing where American mathematician andFields MedalistMichael Freedman is the director.^[58]

The focus of the University of California is on research.^[46] Like all University of California campuses, UCSB prioritizes academic development over vocational learning. Undergraduate teaching is centered on lectures, with larger lecture classes having sections. Sections may be tutorial style, or they may be set up as seminars or discussions. For undergraduates, UCSB confers both B.A. and B.S. degrees. Music majors may pursue aBachelor of Music degree. Graduate teaching involves seminar-style classes and an emphasis on research and further study. UCSB confersM.A., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. Those studying music may pursue aMM orDMA degree. Students pursuing a career in education may receive aMEd orEdD degree. The university granted 5,812 bachelor's, 578 master's, and 354 Ph.D. degrees in 2010–2011.^[59]

UCSB is considered to be a "Public Ivy".^[70] The 2022 edition ofU.S. News & World Report ranked UC Santa Barbara as the 7th best public university and tied for the 32nd best university in the United States.^[49]Money magazine ranked UC Santa Barbara 30th in the U.S. out of the 744 schools it evaluated for its 2019 Best Colleges ranking.^[71] In 2019,Kiplinger ranked UCSB 30th out of 174 best-value public colleges and universities in the nation, and fifth in California.^[72] UC Santa Barbara was ranked 32nd in the United States out of 1,380 colleges and universities by Payscale and CollegeNet's 2018 Social Mobility Index rankings.^[73]

TheTimes Higher Education World University Rankings ranked UCSB 48th worldwide for 2016–17,^[74] while theAcademic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) in 2016 ranked UCSB 42nd in the world, 28th in the nation, and in 2015 tied for 17th worldwide in engineering.^[75]

Washington Monthly named UCSB as the 20th best national university in 2020, based on its contribution to the public good as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service.

U.S. News & World Report's 2016 rankings placed UCSB's graduate programs in Materials Engineering and Chemical Engineering the second and ninth best in the U.S., respectively; graduate school Physics was ranked 10th best, including the fifth-best program for Condensed Matter Physics, seventh-best program for Quantum Physics, seventh-best program for Elementary Particles/Field/String Theory, and eighth-best program for Cosmology/Relativity/Gravity.^[76] In terms of the social sciences, UCSB's graduate program in Sociology is ranked first for research in sex and gender, and the History department is ranked seventh for women's history.^[76]

In 2015,QS World University Rankings ranked UCSB 129th in the world.^[77]

Forbes magazine ranked the university 24h in the nation (and 5th best public university) in 2024. This ranking focuses mainly on net positive financial impact, in contrast to other rankings, and generally ranks liberal arts colleges above most research universities.^[78]

PayScale's 2015–16 College Salary Report (ranking universities in terms of graduates' salary potential), UCSB came in first in computer science, seventh in engineering, 14th in Humanities, and 30th in Social Sciences.^[79][80]

UCSB was ranked third inThe Princeton Review's 2015 list of top party schools.^[81]

Santa Barbara is one of the ten major campuses affiliated with theUniversity of California. The University of California is governed by a 26-memberboard of regents, 18 of which are appointed by theGovernor of California to 12-year terms, seven serving asex officio members, and a single student regent.^[82] The position of chancellor was created in 1952 to lead individual campuses. The Board of Regents appointedHenry T. Yang to be the fifth chancellor of the university in 1994.^[83]

UC Santa Barbara has three colleges: theCollege of Letters & Science, theCollege of Engineering, and theCollege of Creative Studies. The College of Creative Studies offers students an alternative approach to education by supporting advanced, independent work in the arts, mathematics, and sciences. The campus also has two professional schools: theBren School of Environmental Science & Management, located inBren Hall, and theGevirtz Graduate School of Education.

Founded in 1973, theInstitute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research (ISBER), originally theCommunity and Organization Research Institute (CORI), is the research unit for work in the social sciences. In 1990, it absorbed theSocial Process Research Institute (SPRI), and its work now includes the humanities.^[84]

In February 2015, UCSB opened aConfucius Institute on campus, one of about 400 installments worldwide. It promotes the study ofChinese language,culture,history,science,politics, andeconomics.^[85]

In 2008, theInstitute for Energy Efficiency was founded to establish a new, cross-disciplinary institute that would integrate the many diverse research projects inenergy efficiency and provide a focus for work in this area.

UCSB is a politically active campus. For the 2008 presidential election, UCSB won a national college competition for student voter registration by registering 10,857 voters, or 51.5% of the student population.^[87] Over the years, many political parties and organizations have been known to be active on campus, such as the College Republicans, Campus Democrats,Green Party,Libertarians,NORML,Young Democratic Socialists of America, and Queer Student Union.^[88][89]

There are a variety of on-campus centers that offer social, recreational, religious, and preprofessional activities for students. The UCSB Multicultural Center hosts numerous activities yearly to support students of color and promote awareness of diversity issues on campus. Other organizations and centers includeThe Daily Nexus, a daily newspaper; the school radio station,KCSB 91.9;The Bottom Line, a weekly newspaper; andThe Gaucho Free Press, the campus's conservative magazine.

There are eightresidence halls at UCSB, seven of which are located at the main campus. One, Santa Catalina (formerly Francisco Torres Towers), is located near the entrance to West Campus north of Isla Vista.^[90]

The Main Campus residence halls are found in two different locations. On the east end of campus are the residence halls named after five of theChannel Islands:Santa Rosa,Santa Cruz,Anacapa,San Miguel andSan Nicolas. There are two dining commons located near the Channel Islands residence halls. The Ortega Dining Commons is located between San Miguel and the University Center (UCen), and the De La Guerra Dining Commons is located between Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and San Nicolas.

The two other residence halls, San Rafael and Manzanita Village, are located on the west side of campus and primarily house continuing and transfer students. The Carrillo Dining Commons is located in Manzanita Village, right next to San Rafael Hall. Manzanita Village was completed in 2002 and is the newest residence hall on campus.

In addition, the university also has four housing complexes for graduate students and their families: San Clemente Villages for single graduate students, Santa Ynez Apartments, El Dorado Apartments, Westgate Apartments, and family student housing: West Campus Apartments and the Storke Apartment complexes. There is also faculty housing at the West Campus Point and new construction underway at the North Campus. The Sierra Madre Villages, located by the West Campus Apartments, was completed in September 2015 and was the first residential complex certified asLEED platinum throughout the entire UC system.^[91] UC Santa Barbara is the only campus in the UC system with any "LEED for Homes" certifications.^[91]

BillionaireCharles Munger had promised the university a $200 million donation on condition that it builds an 11-story dormitory, to be calledMunger Hall, following his design, which assigns each of 4,536 residents a small individual room, 94% without natural light, to house more students and to encourage socialization in common areas. UCSB's acceptance of the proposal, presented in October 2021, led to the resignation of architect Dennis McFadden from the campus design review committee,^[92] followed by protests from students and others including theAmerican Institute of Architects. In October 2022, the plan was modified to eliminate two floors, reducing the capacity of the building to 3,500.^[93] Plans for the construction of the Dormitory were canceled in August 2023.^[94]

There are several academic resources offered by the university, including awriting center, opencomputer labs, amachine shop, a career and counseling center, and drop-in academic advising.

The UCSB Recreation Center provides classes and facilities for students and faculty. The center has swimming pools,racquetball courts, a rock wall, and exercise machines. The University Center has facilities for meetings and presentations and also contains a bookstore, restaurants, and a cashier.^[95]

UCSB has a health clinic. Students with ailments or seeking medical assistance may consult a physician at the clinic. The clinic also offers basic healthcare and provides emergency medicine and contraceptives. The university is the only UC campus with its own paramedic rescue unit. It's staffed by full-time professional paramedics and part-time undergraduateEMTs.

SexInfo, which was started in 1976 by professors John and Janice Baldwin, is run by students doing advanced course work and research onsexuality through UCSB'sSociology Department. The site is dedicated to providing accurate information about sexuality in a way that is both informative and personal. SexInfo answers questions sent in by readers from all over the world, as well as regularly updates and posts articles on various topics related to human sexuality. This program helps students get their degree in psychology.^[96]

The mascot of UCSB is theGaucho and the school colors are blue and gold. UCSB's sports teams compete in theBig West Conference, except for the men's water polo, men's and women's swimming, and the men's volleyball teams, which are in theMountain Pacific Sports Federation. Santa Barbara is best known for its men's swimming andmen's soccer teams. In 2006, UCSB won its first NCAA men's soccer title and second overall NCAA championship (1979 water polo) in school history.^[97][98]

While there are some 400 students in ICA, there are over 700 in club sports teams, includingAlpine racing, cycling,fencing,field hockey,lacrosse,roller hockey,rugby, sailing, soccer,ice hockey,triathlon,ultimate frisbee,water ski, androwing. Many of these teams are highly regarded and compete against Intercollegiate teams across the U.S. For example,rowing has produced several national team members including nine-time National Rowing Team member Amy Fuller, winner of several Olympic and World Championship medals, and currently head of theUCLA Rowing Program. The UCSB cycling team has also produced several national team members, Olympians, and members of numerous U.S. and international professional teams.

Hundreds of students participate in a large intramural program consisting of badminton, basketball, bowling, flag football, golf, floor hockey, indoor and outdoor soccer, racquetball, squash, running, softball, tennis, table tennis, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, inner-tube water polo, and kickball.

Surfing also draws many students to UCSB. The on-campus beaches include several surfing sites, including "Poles", "Campus Point", "Depressions", "Sands", and "Devereaux Point" on West Campus. Because Campus Beach faces south and east and is shielded by the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, the surf is usually quite small. However, a large north or west swell can wrap in to create great waves that are typically very clean and good for surfing. UCSB has a surf team that competes inNational Scholastic Surfing Association competitions and is generally considered one of the best in the nation. They continued their reputation by winning a record 14th national title at the college level in 2010's finals.

Current UCSB faculty have received several prestigious awards, including sixNobel Prizes^{[99][100][101][102][103]} and aFields Medal.^[104] In addition, there are 29 members of theNational Academy of Sciences,^[105] 27 members of theNational Academy of Engineering,^[106] and 31 members of theAcademy of Arts and Sciences on the faculty.^[107]

• Allison Anders, American film and television director
• Tanya Atwater, professor ofGeology, known for work on plate tectonics
• Stanley Awramik, professor ofGeology, bio-geologist and expert on Precambrian deposits and theorigin of life
• Alison Brysk, Mellichamp chair in global governance, Global Studies Department
• Charles Bazerman, Distinguished Professor of Education at theGevirtz Graduate School of Education andCollege of Creative Studies Writing & Literature faculty, 2020 Exemplar Award Winner from theConference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) and founder of the International Society for the Advancement of Writing Research and its international conference, Writing Research Across Borders (WRAB).^[108]
• Walter Holden Capps (1934–1997), also known as Walter H. Capps. Religious Studies professor. U.S. Representative from California 22nd District (Democrat), 1997; (defeated, 1994) died in office 1997.
• Nick Carter, 1928 Olympian, track coach (1939–1958)
• Michael G. Crandall, professor emeritus of mathematics, winner of the Leroy P. Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research
• Leda Cosmides, Distinguished Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences, co-founder of modernEvolutionary Psychology
• Glen Culler, professor ofElectrical Engineering, principal investigator for UCSB ARPAnet
• Dimitrije Dordevic (1922–2009), professor of Balkan History
• Renzo Fenci (1914–1999), professor of Fine Art from 1947 until 1954.^[109]
• Matthew P. A. Fisher, professor of physics, is known for several major contributions tocondensed matter physics
• Michael Freedman, 1986Fields Medalist and director ofMicrosoft Station Q
• Kip Fulbeck, professor of art, author, and artist exploringHapa identity
• Michael Gazzaniga, director of the SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind and professor ofPsychology, leading researcher in the field ofcognitive neuroscience
• Colin Gardner, professor of Integrative Studies/Critical Theory, Departments of Art, Film & Media Studies, Comparative Literature, and the History of Art and Architecture
• Howard Giles, professor ofCommunication, creator ofcommunication accommodation theory
• Michael Frank Goodchild, professor ofGeography, winner of the 2007Lauréat Prix International de Géographie Vautrin Lud
• David J. Gross, director of theKavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and 2004 Nobel laureate inPhysics^[110]
• Alan J. Heeger, professor ofPhysics and ofMaterials and 2000 Nobel laureate inChemistry^[111]
• Robert Hetzron (1938–1997), linguist and professor of Germanic, Oriental and Slavic Languages.
• C. Warren Hollister (1930–1997), historian of medieval Europe
• Immanuel C.Y. Hsu,sinologist and emeritus professor of History
• Tania Israel, professor of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, and specialist mental health and LGBTQ peoples and communities.
• Jacob Israelachvili, professor ofChemical Engineering andMaterials, elected fellow of theRoyal Society of London, 1988^[112]
• Heejung Kim, professor of psychological and brain sciences
• Charles Kolstad, chair of the Economics Department and professor of Environmental Economics
• Walter Kohn, founding director, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, research professor of Physics and 1998 Nobel laureate in Chemistry^[113]
• Herbert Kroemer, professor ofElectrical and Computer Engineering and of Materials and 2000 Nobel laureate in Physics^[114]
• Finn E. Kydland, professor of Economics and 2004 Nobel laureate in Economics^[115]
• L. Gary Leal, Warren & Katharine Schlinger Professor of Chemical Engineering^[116]
• Luis Leal (1907–2010),Mexican-American writer and literary critic
• Nelson Lichtenstein, labor historian, MacArthur Foundation Chair in History
• Bruce H. Lipshutz, professor ofChemistry andBiochemistry
• George Lipsitz, professor of Sociology andAfrican American Studies, expert oncritical race theory andwhiteness studies
• Harold Lewis, emeritus professor ofPhysics and former department chairman
• Leonard Marsak (1924–2013), historian of modern Europe
• Lon McEachern, American sports commentator
• N. Scott Momaday,Native American author, winner of thePulitzer Prize and recipient of theNational Medal of Arts^[117]
• William W. Murdoch, Charles A. Storke II professor ofpopulation ecology, recipient of the 1990Robert H. MacArthur Award, andAAAS Fellow known for his research in population regulation, biological control, and predator-prey relationships^[118]
• Shuji Nakamura, professor of Materials and 2014 Nobel laureate in Physics, Japanese inventor of the bright green, white and blueGaNLEDs and a blue laser. Recipient of the Millennium Technology Prize from the Finnish government in 2006^[119]
• John Nathan, Takashima Professor of Japanese Cultural Studies and Emmy award-winning director of several documentaries^[120]
• Christopher J. Newfield, Director of Research at the Independent Social Research Foundation in London, UK. until 2020 was Distinguished Professor of English at the University of California, Santa Barbara
• Joachim Remak (1920–2001), historian of modern Europe
• Jeffrey Burton Russell, professor emeritus, historian of medieval Europe
• Paul Spickard, history professor, named Distinguished Lecturer byOrganization of American Historians, 2001 recipient of The Loving Prize for research on mixed racial and cultural experiences
• Jeffrey C. Stewart, Black Studies professor, recipient of the 2018National Book Award for Nonfiction and 2019Pulitzer Prize in Biography
• Galen D. Stucky, E. Khashoggi Industries, LLC Professor in Letters and Science, professor ofChemistry andBiochemistry,Materials Departments^[121]
• James A. Thomson, adjunct professor of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, "father of stem-cell research"^[122]
• John Tooby, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, co-founder of modern Evolutionary Psychology
• Frank Wilczek, Chancellor Robert Huttenback Professor of Physics (1981–88),American theoretical physicist,mathematician and aNobel laureate.^[123]
• Anthony Zee, theoretical physicist andPulitzer Prize nominee. Known for applying quantum field theory to such problems as RNA folding and visual processing.^[124]

• Current UC Santa Barbara Nobel laureate faculty include:
•  
  Shuji Nakamura, Nobel Prize in Physics (2014)
•  
  Finn E. Kydland, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics (2004)
•  
  David J. Gross, Nobel Prize in Physics (2004)
•  
  Alan J. Heeger, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2000)
•  
  Herbert Kroemer, Nobel Prize in Physics (2000)

UC Santa Barbara alumni have become notable in many varied fields, both academic and otherwise.Carol Greider, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2009), graduated from theCollege of Creative Studies with a B.A. in biology in 1983.Robert Ballard, an oceanographer who discovered theRMS Titanic in 1985, graduated from UCSB in 1965 with a degree in chemistry and geology.

Actors who have studied at UCSB includeAcademy Award winnerMichael Douglas, who received a B.A. in drama in 1968 and who is honorary president of the UCSB Alumni Association, andGwyneth Paltrow, who studied anthropology before dropping out to act.

Filmmakers who have studied at UCSB include Academy Award nomineeDon Hertzfeldt, who received a B.A. in Film Studies in 1998;Gregg Araki, director of films likeMysterious Skin andThe Doom Generation, who got his B.A. from UCSB in 1982;^[125]Brad Silberling, director of films likeMoonlight Mile andLemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events; andGavin Garrison, who received a B.A. in Global Studies in 2007 and now produces theEmmy-nominated television showWhale Wars; andForrest Galante, wildlife biologist and star ofExtinct or Alive on the Animal Planet Network.Noah Harpster, writer, actor, producer and director, best known for writingA Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,Transparent,Painkiller and acting inOne Mississippi andFor All Mankind, who received a B.F.A. in Acting.

Musicians who have attended includeRobby Krieger, guitarist in The Doors, singer-songwriterJack Johnson, singer and guitarist forThe Beach Boys,Jeffrey Foskett, and electro-house musicianSteve Aoki.

Chairman of theOracle CorporationJeffrey O. Henley graduated with a B.A. in economics in 1966, whileKnut Vollebæk, formerforeign minister of Norway, graduated with a degree in political science in 1973.

Athletes who have studied at UCSB include swimmer and four-time Olympic gold medalistJason Lezak, NBA player and head coachBrian Shaw, and UCLA basketball coachCori Close. Television journalistKaty Tur of NBC and MSNBC received a degree in 2005, andElizabeth Wagmeister ofPage Six TV andVariety graduated with a B.A. in communications in 2012.

• Notable UC Santa Barbara alumni include:
•  
  Carol Greider, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2009)
•  
  Gwyneth Paltrow,Academy Award-winning actress
•  
  Michael Douglas, Academy Award-winning actor and producer
•  
  Robby Krieger, rockguitarist andsongwriter inThe Doors
•  
  Jack Johnson, singer-songwriter and former professionalsurfer
•  
  Jason Lezak,swimmer and four-timeOlympic gold medalist
•  
  Benjamin Bratt, American actor
•  
  Reza Aslan,Iranian-American author, commentator and religious scholar
•  
  Leroy Chiao, formerNASAastronaut, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker
•  
  Barbara Rush,Golden Globe Award-winning actress
•  
  Barry Zito, 3-timeMLB All-Starpitcher
•  
  Logan Green Co-founder and chairman ofLyft

TheUnited States Census Bureau has designated the UC Santa Barbara campus as a separatecensus-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes. It first appeared as a CDP in the2020 United States census^[128] with a population of 9,710.^[129]

• 2014 Isla Vista killings
• Latin American Fisheries Fellowship

• Official website 
• UC Santa Barbara Athletics website