COMMUNITY PROFILES

Serene and beautiful, fast-growing Santa Barbara & San Luis Obispo Counties offer exceptionally attractive communities that are nestled between the ocean and the mountains. Newcomers will be delighted with the rare blend of “big city” culture and sophistication with small-town friendliness and warmth. Healthcare services and facilities in this region are outstanding, anchored by a network of hospitals within the Cottage Health System that include Santa Barbara Hospital, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, and Cottage Children’s Hospital. In addition to renowned maternal-child and pediatric services including a baby-friendly birth center, the system offers the only Level II trauma center in the region and comprehensive cardiac, neurosurgical, and oncology programs. Other healthcare leaders in this area are Lompoc Hospital in Lompoc and Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria, providing an array of advanced services in a compassionate community hospital setting.

Students of all ages can look forward to an outstanding education in Santa Barbara County, where quality public schools are complemented by a number of options for private education. Vocation and career training, college-track programs, and continuing education courses are available within two community college systems, Allan Hancock College and Santa Barbara City College. The latter serves the south coast of Santa Barbara County and is recognized as one of the leading two-year public institutions in the nation, attracting students with an outstanding faculty, small classes, and state-of-the-art facilities. The University of California-Santa Barbara has been named one of “America’s Hottest Colleges” in the Newsweek/Kaplan guide, offering an exceptional faculty that includes several Nobel Prize winners. Ranked among the best public universities in the nation, UCSB is home to nine national research centers, two professional schools, and a number of multidisciplinary programs and institutes. Several private colleges are available in this area as well, including Antioch University Santa Barbara, Brooks Institute of Photography, Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara Business College, Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine, and Westmont College.

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