Isla Vista is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California, in the United States. As of 2020 census, the community had a population of 15,500. The majority of residents are college students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, or Santa Barbara City College. The beachside community of Isla Vista lies on a flat plateau about 30 feet in elevation, separated from the beach by a bluff.