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Is Santa Barbara City College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Santa Barbara City, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Santa Barbara City sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $47,647 helps, but median debt of $11,000 plus yearly net price of $11,315 creates a tighter path. For context, Santa Barbara City's net price runs about 71% above the typical 2-year, public school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 791 similar 2-year, public schools
This school
$12,883
/yrAverage school like this
$7,555
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $5,328 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $21,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$11,315
Median earnings 10 years out
$47,647
Median debt at graduation
$11,000
Graduation rate
34%
At Santa Barbara City, a typical graduate carries about $11,000 in student debt and earns roughly $47,647 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $125 per month, or 3% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Santa Barbara City is a two year school in Santa Barbara, CA. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
College of the Siskiyous
Weed, CA
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $11,120
2-year
East Los Angeles
Monterey Park, CA
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $10,852
2-year
Central California School of Continuing Education
San Luis Obispo, CA
Worth-It Score: 83/100
Median net price: $11,840
2-year
Lemoore
Lemoore, CA
Worth-It Score: 62/100
Median net price: $10,832
2-year
Feather River Community College District
Quincy, CA
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $10,800
Common questions about Santa Barbara City
The median net price at Santa Barbara City is $11,315 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at community colleges options in California? See the most affordable community colleges in California →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →