UCSB Housing, Dining, & Auxiliary Enterprises

What UCSB Housing, Dining, & Auxiliary Enterprises does

UCSB Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises is a non-departmentalized auxiliary of the University of California, Santa Barbara, governed by The Regents of the University of California, that operates the full stack of oncampus student housing, dining, and ancillary services for the UCSB community. The portfolio spans traditional residence halls (Anacapa, San Nicolas, San Rafael, San Miguel, Santa Cruz, Santa Catalina) with 10,000+ resident capacity, undergraduate apartments (El Dorado, San Joaquin Villages, Santa Ynez, Sierra Madre Villages, Westgate), graduate apartments (San Clemente Villages), and family student housing (Storke Family Housing, West Campus Family Housing), complemented by an off-campus rental listing service covering Isla Vista, Goleta, and greater Santa Barbara.

The underlying technology stack is composed of modular, interoperable platforms rather than proprietary systems: the housing portal (apps.housing.ucsb.edu) centralizes applications, contracts, roommate matching, work orders (Get It Fixed), and billing via BARC integration; ResNet delivers wired and wireless internet with on-site service centers; GauchoPrint handles remote printing; and the Speed Queen App powers laundry monitoring. Dining operates through tiered bundled meal plans (Platinum 19, Gold 14, Silver 10 weekly meals) keyed to ACCESS card entry at dining commons. Adjacent partnerships extend the ecosystem into off-campus listings (RentCollegePads), renters insurance (GradGuard), moving and storage (Storage Scholars, Campus Storage), and appliance rentals (MicroFridge).

Revenue is generated through all-inclusive academic-year residence hall contracts ($23,900-$28,542 per person for 2026-2027), monthly apartment rents ($868-$1,736 per person for undergraduates; $899-$1,029 for graduate; $1,189-$1,794 for family housing), bundled meal plans, parking permits, and summer/conference housing through Conference & Hospitality Services. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer via a self-service digital portal, with no external investors, no equity funding, and operations funded through housing fees, dining revenue, and university budgets as a public state entity.

Name

UCSB Housing, Dining, & Auxiliary Enterprises

Legal name

The Regents of the University of California

Website

https://housing.ucsb.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

UCSB Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises is a public university auxiliary operating 10,000+ beds of on-campus residence halls, undergraduate and graduate apartments, and family housing for University of California, Santa Barbara students, generating revenue through all-inclusive academic-year contracts, meal plans, and ancillary services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Student Housing Services

NAICS

Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (72131), Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (7213), Accommodation (721)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

On-Campus University Housing Management (BPAJAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Dining & Meal Plan Coordination (In-Hall/Adjacent) (EDAEAFAK), Off-Campus / University-Affiliated Housing Management (EDAEAFAB), Guest, Visitor & Conference Housing Services (Summer/Break Housing) (EDAEAFAN), University/Academic Conference Hotels (THAGALAJ)

Keywords

• University housing services
• Student residence halls
• Campus dining services
• Family student housing
• Graduate student apartments

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Academic Year Housing Contracts: All-inclusive 9-month contracts for residence halls covering room, meal plan, internet, housekeeping, laundry, community events, and 24-hour maintenance. Billed quarterly through BARC. Rates range from $23,900 (Silver triple) to $28,542 (Platinum single) for 2026-2027 academic year.
2. Apartment Rent: Monthly rental payments for undergraduate and graduate apartments. Undergraduate apartment rates range from $868–$1,736/month per person depending on room type and occupancy. Graduate apartment rates are $899–$1,029/month per person. Family housing rents range from $1,189–$1,794/month. Rates include utilities, internet, parking (for graduate), and maintenance.
3. Meal Plans: Meal plans (Platinum 19 meals, Gold 14 meals, Silver 10 meals per week) are bundled with residence hall contracts. Off-campus meal plans also available for purchase.
4. Parking Permits: Parking ePermits for eligible residents (first-year students prohibited). Additional fees for second vehicle permits and overflow parking. Family housing includes one parking space in rent; graduate parking (H50) is included in rent.
5. Summer & Conference Housing: Temporary and conference housing services for visiting groups during summer months, including September temporary housing and conference groups through the Conference & Hospitality Services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UCSB Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises provides on-campus student housing (residence halls, undergraduate apartments, graduate apartments, and family housing), dining commons with bundled meal plans, residential high-speed internet (ResNet), and off-campus rental listing services for UCSB students, faculty, and staff. The organization operates more than 10,000 beds across residence halls and apartment complexes, governed by The Regents of the University of California, with all-inclusive 9-month academic-year contracts billed through university systems.

Product overview

UCSB Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises provides a comprehensive on-campus housing portfolio consisting of traditional residence halls (San Nicolas, Santa Cruz, San Rafael, San Miguel, Santa Catalina, Anacapa, Manzanita Village), undergraduate apartments (El Dorado, San Joaquin Villages, Santa Ynez, Sierra Madre Villages, Westgate), graduate apartments (San Clemente Villages), and family student housing (Storke, West Campus). Supporting services include ResNet internet, campus dining commons with meal plans, off-campus rental listings, accessible housing accommodations, and 24-hour maintenance operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Campus Residence Halls Traditional style residence halls (San Nicolas, Santa Cruz, San Rafael, San Miguel, Santa Catalina, Anacapa, Manzanita Village) offering double, triple, and single room accommodations with communal or suite-style bathrooms. Includes meal plans, housekeeping, laundry, internet access, and 24-hour maintenance support. For first-year undergraduates and residents who prefer all-inclusive 9-month academic-year contracts.
• Undergraduate Apartments Apartment complexes including El Dorado, San Joaquin Villages, Santa Ynez, Sierra Madre Villages, and Westgate. Options range from 1-bedroom to 2-bedroom units with shared occupancy ranging from 2-6 people per unit. Includes utilities, internet, housekeeping, and laundry facilities. For continuing undergraduate students.
• Graduate Apartments (San Clemente Villages) Single-occupancy apartments for graduate students featuring 2-bedroom and 4-bedroom floor plans. Includes utilities, parking, internet, housekeeping, and 24-hour maintenance. For UCSB graduate and professional students.
• Family Student Housing Unfurnished apartments for students with families, including Storke Family Housing (342 units of 2-bedroom townhouses and flats across 15+ acres) and West Campus Family Housing (1 and 2-bedroom units, 250 residents). Includes childcare resources, playgrounds, community gardens, and family-focused amenities. For UCSB students with families.
• University & Community Housing Services (Off-Campus Rental Listings) Off-campus rental listing service connecting UCSB students, faculty, and staff with private housing options. Includes searchable listings, budget calculator, housing mediation services, and lease review for Isla Vista, Goleta, Santa Barbara, and surrounding areas (Downtown, El Encanto Heights, The Mesa, Ellwood, Tri-Country Area, San Roque/La Cumbre).
• ResNet Residential Network and Printing High-speed wired and wireless internet service for all campus housing residents. Includes GauchoPrint laser printing services and on-site service centers in San Nicolas, Manzanita Village, and Santa Catalina. Technical support via [email protected]. For all campus housing residents.
• Campus Dining Commons and Meal Plans Meal plan options (Platinum 19 meals/week, Gold 14 meals/week, Silver 10 meals/week) bundled with residence hall contracts, with ACCESS card entry at dining commons. Includes off-campus meal plans for purchase and sack meals. For residence hall residents and off-campus students.
• Summer and Conference Housing Temporary and conference housing services for visiting groups during summer months, including September temporary housing and conference groups through the Conference & Hospitality Services. For visiting conference attendees and groups.
• Accessible Housing Services Disability-based housing accommodations including accessible rooms, support animals, and gender-inclusive housing options. Review committee meets twice monthly with 4-6 week processing timeline. For UCSB students with documented disabilities or specific accommodation needs.
• Get It Fixed (Maintenance Services) Work order submission system for maintenance requests. Staff responds typically by next business day for issues in rooms, apartments, common areas, and bathrooms. For all campus housing residents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Santa Barbara ranked among the most desirable cities in the US
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Storage ScholarsminorOthersStorage Scholars provides moving and storage services for UCSB students, including a Ship to School program allowing families to ship belongings in advance of move-in for delivery on move-in day. Contact: (336) 815-0100 or [email protected].
• Campus StorageminorOthersCampus Storage provides moving and storage services for UCSB students. Contact: 1-877-99-CAMPUS or [email protected].
• MicroFridgeminorOthersMicroFridge is the preferred vendor for refrigerator rentals (up to 4.5 cubic feet) for UCSB residence halls and apartments. Available through campus store ordering.
• GradGuardminorOthersGradGuard provides renter's insurance designed for University of California students, as UC Santa Barbara requires renters insurance for all campus housing residents. Contact via gradguard.com.
• RentCollegePadscoreTechnology or IntegrationRentCollegePads powers the UCSB University & Community Housing Services off-campus rental listing platform (rentallistings.housing.ucsb.edu), providing search, comparison, and listing management tools for off-campus housing.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Scion Group: Private student housing owner/operator focused on developing and managing purpose-built student accommodation near major universities. Competes with UCSB Housing for graduate and upper-division undergraduate students by offering newer off-campus amenities.
• Greystar Real Estate Partners - Student Housing: Largest multifamily/student housing operator in the U.S., managing purpose-built student housing communities. Provides off-campus supply that competes with UCSB apartments and graduate/family housing, particularly in the Santa Barbara/Goleta submarket.
• American Campus Communities (Blackstone): Largest publicly-traded student housing REIT prior to Blackstone acquisition; owns/operates off-campus student housing communities serving major universities. Comparable customer base (college students) and operating model, though operates off-campus rather than university-affiliated.

Direct peers

• UC Berkeley Residential & Student Service Programs: Operates UC Berkeley's residence halls, apartments, dining, and student services as a UC system auxiliary. Comparable scale, similar rates, similar product mix including family housing and conference services.
• USC Housing: Operates University of Southern California's residence halls and apartments as a private university housing auxiliary. Comparable product mix and bundled dining/residential model, though private rather than public ownership.
• UC Davis Student Housing & Dining Services: Runs UC Davis's on-campus residence halls, apartments, and dining commons under the same UC auxiliary structure. Directly comparable business model serving a similar-sized California public university student body.
• Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE): Stanford's housing, dining, and hospitality auxiliary, including residence halls, apartments, and conference services. Operates a comparable bundled all-inclusive model for a comparable-scale California university student population.
• UC San Diego Housing & Dining: UC San Diego's housing and dining auxiliary operates comparable residence hall, apartment, and meal plan products. Same UC governance and similar cost structure, with comparable digital housing portal integrations.
• NYU Housing & Residence Life: Operates NYU's residence halls, dining, and residential services in a high-cost urban market. Comparable bundled housing product structure with similar regulatory and demand dynamics at a large private research university.
• UCLA Housing & Hospitality Services: Operates UCLA's on-campus housing, dining, and conference services across 14,000+ beds under the same University of California system governance. Most structurally comparable peer - same auxiliary model, same public regental oversight, same all-inclusive residence hall and apartment product structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UCSBHousing
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ucsbhousing
• Facebookfacebook.com/UCSBHousing
• Instagraminstagram.com/UCSBHousing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ucsb---housing-and-residential-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UCSB Housing, Dining, & Auxiliary Enterprises