Student Outcomes

Success rates, completion statistics, and student outcome metrics for University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA

Overall Completion Rate

79.9%

Working Student Success

79%

Transfer Out Rate

10.7%

Still Enrolled Rate

0%

What Happens After Students Enroll?

Eight-Year Student Outcomes

Eight-year outcomes for students who entered University of California-Santa Barbara. This shows what happened to students in their cohort by the end of the tracking period.

80.1%
8.1%
11.7%
Completed
80.1%
5,261 students
Still Enrolled
0.1%
9 students
Transferred Out
8.1%
529 students
No Award
11.7%
768 students

Understanding These Outcomes

Completed: Students who earned a certificate, diploma, or degree from this institution.

Still Enrolled: Students who remain enrolled at this institution after the tracking period.

Transferred Out: Students who transferred to another institution and may have completed there.

No Award: Students who left without earning a credential and are not enrolled elsewhere.

Combined completion and transfer rate of 88.2% indicates strong student success pathways.

These outcomes track what happened to students eight years after they first enrolled. Completion rates include certificates, diplomas, and degrees earned at this institution. Transfer rates show students who continued their education at other colleges. Understanding these pathways helps prospective students set realistic expectations and plan their educational journey.

What Are Student Transfer and Continuation Patterns?

Success Rates by Student Entry Pathway

Comparing completion rates across different student entry pathways helps understand which groups succeed and how transfer experience impacts outcomes.

First-Time Students(4,461 cohort size)
86.0%
86.0% completed
10.0% transferred to other institutions
Transfer-In Students(1,493 cohort size)
91.0%
91.0% completed
6.0% transferred again to other institutions
Continuing Students(17 cohort size)
59.0%
59.0% completed

Key Insights

First-time and transfer students achieve similar completion rates, indicating equitable support regardless of entry pathway.

Cohort Composition

4,461
First-Time
1,493
Transfer-In
17
Continuing

Understanding Student Pathways

First-Time Students: Beginning postsecondary education for the first time at this institution.

Transfer-In Students: Previously attended another postsecondary institution before enrolling here.

Continuing Students: Returned to this institution after a break in enrollment.

Completion rates tracked over 8 years from initial entry.

Different student entry pathways lead to varying success rates. First-time students enter directly from high school or are starting college for the first time. Transfer students bring prior college experience and credits. Understanding these patterns helps you identify which pathway aligns best with your situation and predict your likelihood of success.

What are the Completion Rates by Student Type

Full-time Students
81.8%
Part-time Students
79%
First-time Students
86%
Transfer Students
78.7%

What does this mean for you? These completion rates show how different types of students succeed at this institution. Full-time students have a higher completion rate (81.8%) compared to part-time students (79%). Consider your work and life commitments when deciding on your enrollment status. First-time students are those new to college, while transfer students have attended another institution before.

Student Outcomes Over Time

Tracking the 2015–16 entering cohort of 6,029 students — the four-year mark is the natural bachelor's degree milestone, with outcomes tracked through year 8.

After 4 Years

4,491
Bachelor's Degrees
0
Certificates
0
Associate Degrees
4,491
Total Awards
74%
Completion Rate

After 6 Years

5,213
Bachelor's Degrees
0
Certificates
0
Associate Degrees
5,213
Total Awards
86%
Completion Rate

After 8 Years (Final)

5,261
Bachelor's Degrees
0
Certificates
0
Associate Degrees
5,261
Total Awards
87%
Completion Rate

Final Student Status

87%
Graduated
0%
Still Enrolled Here
9%
Enrolled Elsewhere
0%
Status Unknown

Completion Breakdown by Cohort

Full-time Non-first-time Students

Cohort Size: 3
8-Year Rate: 100%

Part-time First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 906
8-Year Rate: 92%

All First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 1,493
8-Year Rate: 91%

Full-time First-time Transfer Students

Cohort Size: 587
8-Year Rate: 90%

Part-time First-time Students

Cohort Size: 2,729
8-Year Rate: 88%

All Part-time Students

Cohort Size: 3,697
8-Year Rate: 88%

All First-time Students

Cohort Size: 4,461
8-Year Rate: 86%

All Full-time Students

Cohort Size: 2,332
8-Year Rate: 85%

Time to Completion

Average time: 5 years
Median time: 5 years
Complete on time: 69%

About This Data

Outcome measures data tracks student cohorts over 4, 6, and 8-year periods. Data is sourced from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reflects the most recent available reporting year.

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