Antioch University-Santa Barbara

“A progressive downtown Santa Barbara campus offering transformative graduate education rooted in social justice and experiential learning.”

Antioch University Santa Barbara (AUSB) is a small, private nonprofit institution located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, California. Founded in 1977 as a satellite of Antioch University Southern California, AUSB became an independently accredited campus in 2007 before rejoining the Antioch University system under Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation. The entire campus occupies a single building at 602 Anacapa Street, reflecting the school's philosophy of intimate learning communities over sprawling infrastructure. With approximately 276 students, the institution primarily serves graduate and post-baccalaureate adult learners seeking meaningful career transitions in psychology, education, the arts, and social enterprise. AUSB is best known for its distinctive progressive pedagogy: rather than traditional letter grades, the institution uses narrative evaluations that provide each student with substantive, personalized feedback. Degree offerings include a Bachelor of Arts completion program in Liberal Studies (seven concentrations), a clinically rigorous MA in Clinical Psychology (MFT and LPCC licensure tracks, with optional concentrations in Healthy Aging or Latino Mental Health), an MBA with Social Business and Non-Profit Management concentrations, a Master of Arts in Education (with teacher credential pathways and a nature-based childhood education emphasis), an MFA in Writing and Contemporary Media, and a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD). This portfolio reflects AUSB's commitment to preparing practitioners who work at the intersection of social justice and professional excellence. For international students, AUSB is a SEVIS-certified institution that issues I-20 forms to eligible F-1 visa applicants and provides dedicated admissions guidance. The school's small size means personalized advising for every student. While no on-campus housing is offered, Santa Barbara's walkable downtown places students minutes from beaches, cultural institutions, nonprofits, and clinical practicum sites that enrich the experiential learning model AUSB championed long before it became fashionable. Approximately 5% of the undergraduate population identifies as international, and both need-based and merit institutional scholarships are available to international applicants.