Student and Visitor Expenditures

Students contribute significantly to the local economy while they attend school and pay for living expenses. Over $223 million was spent locally on student rent and mortgage payments in 2007 alone, as well as $64 million on food and entertainment in the same year.

Of all the expenditures associated with the University, 53% is spent by students and visitors, at over $596 million annually. Undergraduates spend the bulk of this money, at over $500 million, with graduates spending over $70 million. Most of this money is spent locally, due to the nature of having to live relatively close to school. The following table shows how much money students spend and how much stays local (see Figure 3).

Table showing student spending at UC Santa Barbara in 2004. 17,844 undergraduate students spent $502.6 million dollars of which $346.8 million or 69% were spent locally. 3,003 graduate students spent $70.4 million dollars of which $57.0 or 81% was spent
Figure 3   *in millions

In the 2006-2007 school year, there were over 102,000 visitors to UC Santa Barbara, spending over $26 million during the course of their stay. This money goes to local hotels and restaurants, as well as local governments for sales and other taxes incurred. Visitor activity associated with the University accounts for 2-3% of total county tourism.