SBCC International students have always played an important role in the life of Santa Barbara City College. SBCC welcomes international students and encourages them to utilize all the services provided by Student Support Services and the International Student Support Program (ISSP) staff.

SBCC is located in Santa Barbara, California, also known as the “American Riviera.”  Just 100 steps from the beach, SBCC offers one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, it’s close to the entertainment industry’s capital of the world, Los Angeles to the south, San Francisco to the north, and Las Vegas to the East. 283 days of sunshine and its unique location offer plenty of activities year-round.

SBCC strives to provide international students with an opportunity to benefit from a high-quality academic curriculum, as well as from intellectually stimulating and fun social and extracurricular activities. International students can enroll at SBCC to improve their English Language skills through the ESL Program, or complete an Associate’s degree, a Certificate of Achievement, a diploma or a competency or departmental award through the Academic Program. Attending for a Gap year (for one year or a semester) or concurrently enrolling at another U.S. Institution while at SBCC are also options available to international students. SBCC offers 250 degree programs, 80 certificates and 28 fully online programs, degrees and certificates.

SBCC is a preferred choice for students who want to fulfill general education courses in order to transfer to a 4-year institution to pursue a Bachelor’s degree. SBCC’s award-winning Transfer Academy offers transfer guarantee agreements with top universities in California (i.e. University of California and California State University), as well as many public and private institutions in the U.S. If students are interested in practical job training, students can apply for OPT (Optional Practical Training) after receiving their Associate’s Degree or a certificate, and work at a U.S. based company for twelve months.

Selected as the #1 Value Community College three years in a row as well as having received the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, SBCC is a great choice for international students academically and financially.