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University of California-Santa Barbara: UCSB University Center and Storke Tower
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College · Catholic life on campus

University of California-Santa Barbara

  • LocationSanta Barbara, CA
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 26,068 students
Official website

University of California-Santa Barbara is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

The Catholic ministry for UC Santa Barbara is St. Mark University Catholic Church, a parish at 6550 Picasso Road in Isla Vista that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles describes as built to serve UCSB students and run as a Newman-style community. The archdiocese listing shows Mass on weekdays at 5:15 PM, a Saturday vigil at 5:00 PM and three Sunday Masses, and lists a confession heading without times. The parish is led by one priest, Fr. John W. Love.

Mass, confession, and adoration

Confirm with the parish

Mass 5

  • Monday–Friday5:15 PMSt. Mark University Catholic Church · Weekday Mass. The archdiocese listing is undated; its holy-day list runs through 12/25/2025.
  • Saturday5:00 PMSt. Mark University Catholic Church · Saturday vigil Mass.
  • Sunday10:00 AMSt. Mark University Catholic Church
  • Sunday12:00 PMSt. Mark University Catholic Church · Spanish-language Mass.
  • Sunday7:00 PMSt. Mark University Catholic Church

Times come only from official parish, chaplaincy, or school pages, and can change with the season. Last verified Oct. 12, 2026.

Sources for these times (1)
  1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Weekly Mass Schedule saturday 5:00 pm sunday 10:00 am 12:00 pm (Spanish) 7:00 pm monday 5:15 pm tuesday 5:15 pm wednesday 5:15 pm thursday 5:15 pm friday 5:15 pm”
    The archdiocese lists weekday Masses at 5:15 PM Monday through Friday, a Saturday Mass at 5:00 PM, and Sunday Masses at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM (Spanish) and 7:00 PM.
    “Weekly Mass Schedule saturday 5:00 pm sunday 10:00 am 12:00 pm (Spanish) 7:00 pm monday 5:15 pm tuesday 5:15 pm wednesday 5:15 pm thursday 5:15 pm friday 5:15 pm”
    The archdiocese lists weekday Masses at 5:15 PM Monday through Friday, a Saturday Mass at 5:00 PM, and Sunday Masses at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM (Spanish) and 7:00 PM.
    “Weekly Mass Schedule saturday 5:00 pm sunday 10:00 am 12:00 pm (Spanish) 7:00 pm monday 5:15 pm tuesday 5:15 pm wednesday 5:15 pm thursday 5:15 pm friday 5:15 pm”
    The archdiocese lists weekday Masses at 5:15 PM Monday through Friday, a Saturday Mass at 5:00 PM, and Sunday Masses at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM (Spanish) and 7:00 PM.
    “Weekly Mass Schedule saturday 5:00 pm sunday 10:00 am 12:00 pm (Spanish) 7:00 pm monday 5:15 pm tuesday 5:15 pm wednesday 5:15 pm thursday 5:15 pm friday 5:15 pm”
    The archdiocese lists weekday Masses at 5:15 PM Monday through Friday, a Saturday Mass at 5:00 PM, and Sunday Masses at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM (Spanish) and 7:00 PM.
    “Weekly Mass Schedule saturday 5:00 pm sunday 10:00 am 12:00 pm (Spanish) 7:00 pm monday 5:15 pm tuesday 5:15 pm wednesday 5:15 pm thursday 5:15 pm friday 5:15 pm”
    The archdiocese lists weekday Masses at 5:15 PM Monday through Friday, a Saturday Mass at 5:00 PM, and Sunday Masses at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM (Spanish) and 7:00 PM.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of University of California-Santa Barbara, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches0.5 mi1 mi2 miSaint Mark's University Parish: 0.6 mi1Saint Raphael Catholic Church: 2.3 mi2St. Mark University Catholic Church (St. Mark's University Parish, Isla Vista): 0.6 miUniversity of California-Santa Barbara (campus)N1 mi
CampusCatholic centerCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Saint Mark's University Parish — 0.6 mi · 6550 Picasso Road, Isla Vista
  2. Saint Raphael Catholic Church — 2.3 mi · 5444 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

BCatholic life on campus: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.

Catholic life on campus

78 of 100 points on what we could document.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Yes (The Archdiocese of Los Angeles listing states the parish was built to serve UCSB students and is now a Newman-style community.)
    Sources (1)
    1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “a 1.5-acre property was purchased very close to campus and a spartan structure was built in 1966 to serve the students at UCSB”
      The parish property was bought very close to the UCSB campus, and the church was built in 1966 to serve UCSB students.
      “in the last 20 years it has become more of a student Newman-style community”
      The archdiocese describes the parish as a student, Newman-style community.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusYes (A church with a Blessed Sacrament chapel, described as purchased very close to campus. The distance is computed from the address.)
    Sources (1)
    1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “a 1.5-acre property was purchased very close to campus and a spartan structure was built in 1966 to serve the students at UCSB”
      The parish property was bought very close to the UCSB campus, and the church was built in 1966 to serve UCSB students.
      “complete with a separate Blessed Sacrament chapel”
      The church has a separate Blessed Sacrament chapel.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryPart-time or shared priest (The named pastor is described as a solo priest who serves the parish. No page presents him as a campus chaplain.)
    Sources (1)
    1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “The current pastor is Fr. John W. Love, D.Min. a native of Santa Barbara and solo priest since 2009.”
      Fr. John W. Love, D.Min. is the current pastor and the parish's solo priest.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministryEvery weekday (5 or more weekdays) (Weekday Mass at 5:15 PM Monday through Friday on the archdiocese's Weekly Mass Schedule. The parish is the ministry's center.)
    Sources (1)
    1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Weekly Mass Schedule saturday 5:00 pm sunday 10:00 am 12:00 pm (Spanish) 7:00 pm monday 5:15 pm tuesday 5:15 pm wednesday 5:15 pm thursday 5:15 pm friday 5:15 pm”
      The archdiocese lists weekday Masses at 5:15 PM Monday through Friday, a Saturday Mass at 5:00 PM, and Sunday Masses at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM (Spanish) and 7:00 PM.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelTwo or more weekend Masses (Saturday vigil at 5:00 PM, and Sunday Masses at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM (Spanish) and 7:00 PM.)
    Sources (1)
    1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Weekly Mass Schedule saturday 5:00 pm sunday 10:00 am 12:00 pm (Spanish) 7:00 pm monday 5:15 pm tuesday 5:15 pm wednesday 5:15 pm thursday 5:15 pm friday 5:15 pm”
      The archdiocese lists weekday Masses at 5:15 PM Monday through Friday, a Saturday Mass at 5:00 PM, and Sunday Masses at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM (Spanish) and 7:00 PM.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryLess than weekly, or by appointment (The archdiocese listing has a Confession heading.)
    Sources (1)
    1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Confession Weekly Mass Schedule”
      The archdiocese listing includes a Confession heading for this parish, with no times shown.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 1 mile of campusComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adoration6 to 11 times a week (9 weekly times documented: 9 Mass, 0 confession, 0 adoration.)Computed from the verified Mass, confession, and adoration times listed on this page (each day a time is offered counts once).

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • Mass is listed on weekdays and on weekends, including a Saturday vigil and three Sunday Masses.
    Sources (1)
    1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Weekly Mass Schedule saturday 5:00 pm sunday 10:00 am 12:00 pm (Spanish) 7:00 pm monday 5:15 pm tuesday 5:15 pm wednesday 5:15 pm thursday 5:15 pm friday 5:15 pm”
      The archdiocese lists weekday Masses at 5:15 PM Monday through Friday, a Saturday Mass at 5:00 PM, and Sunday Masses at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM (Spanish) and 7:00 PM.
  • The parish is very close to campus and was built to serve UCSB students.
    Sources (1)
    1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “a 1.5-acre property was purchased very close to campus and a spartan structure was built in 1966 to serve the students at UCSB”
      The parish property was bought very close to the UCSB campus, and the church was built in 1966 to serve UCSB students.
      “in the last 20 years it has become more of a student Newman-style community”
      The archdiocese describes the parish as a student, Newman-style community.

Concerns

  • The parish is led by one priest, and no page presents him as a campus chaplain.
    Sources (1)
    1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “The current pastor is Fr. John W. Love, D.Min. a native of Santa Barbara and solo priest since 2009.”
      Fr. John W. Love, D.Min. is the current pastor and the parish's solo priest.
  • No confession times, student groups or formation programs were verified on accessible official pages.
    Sources (1)
    1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Confession Weekly Mass Schedule”
      The archdiocese listing includes a Confession heading for this parish, with no times shown.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

The Catholic center

St. Mark University Catholic Church (St. Mark's University Parish, Isla Vista)

  • Address: 6550 Picasso Road, Goleta, CA 93117-4698
  • Distance from campus: 0.6 mi (straight line from the campus point in federal IPEDS data)
  • Facilities: church, Blessed Sacrament chapel, parish offices and rectory

View on map ↗

Source: lacatholics.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026, lacatholics.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026, lacatholics.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026

Catholic campus ministry

Sources (1)
  1. St. Mark University Catholic Church | LA Catholicslacatholics.org/venue/st-mark-university-catholic-church · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “a 1.5-acre property was purchased very close to campus and a spartan structure was built in 1966 to serve the students at UCSB”
    The parish property was bought very close to the UCSB campus, and the church was built in 1966 to serve UCSB students.
    “in the last 20 years it has become more of a student Newman-style community”
    The archdiocese describes the parish as a student, Newman-style community.
    “6550 Picasso Road Goleta, CA 93117-4698 United States Phone (805) 968-1078”
    The parish's address is 6550 Picasso Road, Goleta, CA 93117-4698, and its phone is 968-1078.
    “a 1.5-acre property was purchased very close to campus and a spartan structure was built in 1966 to serve the students at UCSB”
    The parish property was bought very close to the UCSB campus, and the church was built in 1966 to serve UCSB students.
    “complete with a separate Blessed Sacrament chapel”
    The church has a separate Blessed Sacrament chapel.

Reach out

Contact details for Fr. John W. Love, D.Min. (Pastor) and 1 official social and news channels are available to signed-in users.

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Academic Excellence

AAcademic Excellence: Strong (grade A): 85 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
86 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.83%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.93%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.17 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$17,118

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
23,232
Total students26,068
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$16,109
Cost of attendance (per year)$41,573
Median federal debt at graduation$13,993
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
83%
First-year retention93%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$74,915
Admission rate33%
Students receiving Pell grants28%

Value index: 82 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Archdiocese of Los Angeles

The Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: lacatholics.org, lacatholics.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county, using the diocese’s county list (Wikipedia). Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is University of California-Santa Barbara a Catholic college?
No. University of California-Santa Barbara is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by St. Mark University Catholic Church (St. Mark's University Parish).
What is University of California-Santa Barbara’s Catholic Life Score?
80 out of 100 (grade B). It measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes, together with academics.
Where is Mass celebrated at University of California-Santa Barbara?
Mass is listed at St. Mark University Catholic Church. Days and times are on this page; please confirm with the parish or campus ministry before you go.

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