AN IMPORTANT PART OF ANY COLLEGE STUDENT'S EXPERIENCE is where they live while at school. As part of the University, Campus Housing is here for you for your entire UCSB experience. We are not-for-profit. We are for supporting the best academic and housing experience, and for putting the “profit” back into the organization to benefit our residents. We offer something for everyone in our eight residence halls and eight apartment complexes… the social interaction and convenience of the residence halls, independent living in apartments, and communities for traditional and non-traditional families.
Location, Location, Location
Santa Barbara is world-famous for sunny beaches, dramatic peaks, and a Mediterranean climate. We offer great living and recreational facilities steps from the Pacific Ocean, classes, and campus resources. Our residence halls include high- and low-rise buildings with spectacular ocean, lagoon, and mountain views. Our apartments are conveniently located between the main campus, Isla Vista, and shopping centers, and are accessible by bus, bike, or on foot. Many of our communities feature spacious outdoor areas for playing and studying. Please visit our Housing Options page to learn more. We also have the helpful Housing Options Filter that will help you discover what housing you're eligible for, as well as filtering for different options that meet your needs and interests.
All-Inclusive
Enjoy the ease and security of living in Campus Housing! UCSB owns and operates eight residence halls and eight apartment complexes in a variety of campus locations with a mixture of building styles and floor plans. The residence hall nine-month contract includes a room with furnishings, a meal plan, utilities, high-speed internet, regular housekeeping, on-site laundry facilities, 24-hour on-call maintenance and live-in staff, and social and educational programming. The apartment nine-month contract includes furnishings, utilities, high-speed internet, on-site laundry facilities, 24-hour on-call maintenance and live-in staff, and social and educational programming. Living with us is hassle-free. You do not have to: figure out bills with roommates; pay first and last month’s rent, security deposits and utility bills; or co-sign a lease and sublet during the summer. Apply here.
Community
Our communities are a great way to meet people and get involved. Living Learning Communities provide a unique and engaging experience through cultural, identity or academic themes. Live-in staff members facilitate social, academic and educational opportunities through utilization of a curricular approach. Community Council student representatives plan social programs geared toward personal success. Making new friends is easy, and there’s always something to do! Where else can you live where you can easily grab a group of people to play pool, ping-pong, basketball, volleyball, or dodgeball, get a study group going, or build a sandcastle? Want to focus on academics? We are dedicated to the mission of the University and to offering the ideal academic environment. Our communities include study spaces equipped with Smart Boards, Faculty in Residence, quiet hours, and we are steps from classes and campus resources.
Delicious, Nutritious, Fresh Food
Throw away all of your preconceived notions about campus dining. Our Dining Commons offer fresh, healthy, high quality, all-you-care-to-eat dining in various locations with convenient meal hours to meet a variety of needs. Our extensive menus feature salad bars, fresh fruits and vegetables (local, organic, and sustainable whenever possible), and a variety of entrées and cooked-to-order specialties, as well as house-made desserts! In addition to food, Residential Dining offers nutrition education and information about ethnic, religious and holiday meal traditions. NetNutrition is a helpful tool that allows students to make educated food choices. A meal plan is a required part of the residence hall room and board package. Students not living in the residence halls can purchase a meal plan to eat while they’re on campus.
Leadership & Employment Opportunities
We are committed to providing leadership and employment opportunities for students who live in our communities. We have more than 800 student jobs and leadership positions, many of which go to our residents. In fact, you have to be a resident to be on the Executive Council of the Residential Halls Association (RHA), a student leadership governance program that organizes events and advocates for residents. In addition to RHA, we have three other Community Councils: the Graduate Student Apartment Community Council, the Student Apartment Community Council, and the Family Student Housing Tenants Association. Students are the backbone of our workforce throughout our department. It’s a win-win situation, as students get to enter the job market, gain valuable skills, and work close to where they live, while we have an excellent part-time workforce.
Safety
Your safety is our number one priority. Residence Halls have self-locking doors, peepholes, smoke detectors, front desk attendants, and layers of student and professional on-call staff available for after-hours assistance. Our communities are patrolled by the Community Service Organization that also provides a 24-hour security escort service for students walking on campus and in Isla Vista. We highly encourage students to use this service or walk in groups at night. Students' email addresses are signed up for UCSB Alert, a system that sends messages during an emergency. You may add multiple devices to your UCSB Alert account. Staying safe on the Internet is also important. Learn how to protect your personal information online via our Safety & Security page. For more information regarding campus safety and crime statistics, please visit the UCSB Police Department's Clery Act page.
Talented & Caring Staff
We share a set of core values, WE CARE, that define who we are and how we conduct our business. We strongly believe that staff serve as role models to our residents and play an active role in supporting and motivating them. Our friendly housekeeping and maintenance staff make sure housing facilities are dutifully maintained and cleaned, and respond quickly as needs arise. Our culinary staff members undergo training, including recipe development and testing new menu ideas. Lead live-in staff have have master’s degrees, and are a great resource to talk to if you’re considering graduate school. Assistant live-in staff are almost all UCSB graduates and a great resource for residents to learn and grow from. The next time you see a staff member, say “Hello!” We welcome student interaction to make our communities the best living and learning environment. We are here for you!
Earth Friendly Living
We are taking strides to protect, preserve, and regenerate our environmental resources by implementing Earth Friendly practices, and helping UCSB on its way to becoming a sustainable community. We are a large department equivalent to a small city in terms of our resource demands. It is imperative that we are good stewards of the environment and continue to seek ways to live and act sustainably. A major objective of the housing program is to efficiently use existing energy resources, explore new technologies, and utilize sustainable products and service methodologies. It is our hope that these initiatives will have a positive impact on our local environment and will make a difference in the lives of our students.
Pictured: San Joaquin Villages, LEED Platinum for Homes & LEED Gold for Neighborhood Development