University of California-Santa Barbara

Students come to the University of California, Santa Barbara with many expectations: to be challenged academically, to enjoy the beautiful Pacific coast scenery, and to party their socks off. From day one, students say, UCSB doesn't disappoint. Lectures can be large but professors expect students -- of which there are about 25,000 -- to quickly catch on to material. The campus is constantly abuzz, with clubs tabling outside the University Center, student protests, and vendors lined up along the miles of bike racks. The neighboring town of Isla Vista houses a majority of the students, as well as local restaurants (the most famous being late-night burrito stop Freebirds), copy shops, grocery co-ops, and every other service a college student could need. It's not uncommon for students to stay within the "I.V. Bubble", venturing out only to party downtown or perhaps catch a movie. UCSB has a solid graduation rate of about 82%, which is 12% higher than would be expected at other universities with similar students. Recent grads say their early career salaries hover around $54,800 on average, according to PayScale data -- which is about 7% higher than expected, according to Money's calculations.