University of California, Santa Barbara World Ranking: University of California, Santa Barbara QS World University Ranking in 2024 163. University of California, Santa Barbara is a public research university located in Southern California, also known as UCSantaBarbara, which was founded in 1909. It is a member of the University of California system and one of the best public universities in the United States. The University of California, Santa Barbara has 12 colleges and departments, as well as many research institutes and centers covering various disciplines. The University of California, Santa Barbara has made outstanding achievements in the fields of artificial intelligence, biological science, chemistry, physical science, mathematics and computer science.