The relevance of Santa Barbara City College to the taxpayers of Santa Barbara has declined markedly over the last 10 years. The total number of students at SBCC has declined severely. Ten years ago, the number of students enrolled in SBCC was 19,331. In 2024 the number was 12,675, a reduction of 6,656 or just over a third reduction.
Furthermore, in 2024, the number of students who study 100 percent online, rather than attend campus classroom classes, is now 4,199. This reduces the number of full-time on-campus students to 8,476.
Of the remaining 8,476 students, another 4,900 students study partly in class and partly online. Only 3,656 students study full-time in classrooms on campus.