International Freshman Eligibility
As one of the top research universities in the world, UC Santa Barbara's international reputation means admission is competitive. The Office of Admissions is familiar with educational systems around the world, and will provide each applicant with a comprehensive review. To be considered competitive for admission, your grades and exam scores must be excellent. The credentials of an international undergraduate applicant are evaluated in accordance with the general regulations governing admission.
You may have to meet additional admission requirements and follow certain guidelines for filling out the undergraduate application, depending on your country or educational system.
China
If you are following the IGCSE/GCSE/GCE curriculum, you must do the following to be eligible for admission:
Complete at least 5 IGCSE/GCSE/GCE O-Levels, and at least 3 academic GCE A-Level exams
If your school offers both H1 and H2 A-Level exams, UC will only consider H2 A-Level exams.
If you are following the Chinese national curriculum, follow these instructions for the application:
List all courses and marks, from grade 9 (year 3 of lower middle school) through grade 12 (years 1 through 3 of upper middle school) exactly as they appear on your official academic records.
Be prepared to submit your Graduation Certificate from the upper middle school if you are accepted to UC.
If you are following the IB curriculum, follow these instructions for the application.
Examination Requirement
All applicants must submit scores from the ACT Assessment plus Writing or the SAT Reasoning Test.
UC no longer requires SAT subject tests, but certain programs on some campuses recommend them and you can use subject tests to satisfy the "a-g" requirements listed above. Specifically, at UCSB the College of Creative Studies recommends a SAT subject test related to an applicant’s chosen major. The College of Engineering recommends that all applicants take the Math 2 subject test.
English Language Proficiency
Applicants whose native language is not English, and whose high school, college or university education was in a country where the language of instruction was not English, must provide evidence of English proficiency to be successful in university studies.
Proficiency in English may be demonstrated by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum accepted score for admission consideration for the TOEFL is 80 or better on the Internet-based test and 550 or better on the paper-based test.
Proficiency may also be demonstrated with the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. The minimum accepted score for the IELTS is 6.5 or better band score (academic modules).
For admission selection, a UC campus may require a score higher than the minimum.
To be considered for admission, the TOEFL or IELTS Exam must be taken by the December test date prior to enrollment. Test results must be sent directly from the testing agency to:
