Acceptance Rate
42%
Avg. SAT
1478
75th percentile
“Pedal through almond orchards to world-leading vet school and wine labs at this bike-mad ag powerhouse.”
Davis, CA
Location
Small Suburb
Campus Setting
You'll arrive at UC Davis, born in 1905 as UC Berkeley's scrappy 'University Farm' to train California's farmers amid the Central Valley's boom, now a standalone giant sprawled across 5,300 acres of labs, vineyards, and grazing lands. What sets it apart is its unapologetic roots in hands-on agriculture—think milking cows on campus or dissecting grapes in the world's top viticulture program—making it the go-to for students who crave dirt-under-nails science over abstract theory. The type who thrives here loves collaboration, bikes everywhere (seriously, you'll lock up next to 50,000 others), and a chill vibe that prizes sustainability and progressivism; introverts or city slickers craving nightlife might feel lost in the suburban quiet of Davis, a flat, foggy town of 70,000 that's pure college bubble, 15 minutes from Sacramento but worlds away from Berkeley's edge or UCLA's glamour.
Photo Gallery
+20
+12
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In Davis classrooms, expect massive lectures in ag halls where profs weave real-world puzzles—like breeding drought-resistant crops—into bio or engineering courses, balanced by intimate labs where you dissect calves or brew experimental wines. Strengths shine in veterinary medicine (perennially #1), biological sciences, environmental policy, and animal science, with undergrads diving into research at facilities like the massive Genome Center or the only campus nuclear lab for irradiating crops. At a 21:1 ratio in a sea of 34,000 undergrads, you'll hustle for advising, but motivated students snag spots in top labs; tradeoffs hit if you seek seminar-style intimacy—it's more self-directed grind than hand-holding, though the intellectual buzz hums from collaborative projects feeding Silicon Valley biotech.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
32,273 undergrad • 7,792 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
23%
Black / African American
2%
Hispanic / Latino
23%
Asian
28%
Other / Multi-racial
24%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Davis, CA
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
A typical week starts with biking past horse pastures to 8 a.m. class, afternoons in study pods or the co-op laundry-folding scene, evenings at the farmers market or Aggie Pack football roars—Davis pulses with 800+ clubs from ultimate frisbee to viticulture society tastings. Traditions like Picnic Day (you'll march in parades with live Mustangs thundering by) or the Whole Earth Festival's hippie drum circles cement the earthy, inclusive vibe, but the social scene skews low-key and studious—no raging frat rows, more bike parties and apartment hangs. Residential life mixes dorms with eco-co-ops, yet the sheer size means building your crew takes effort; scorching summers and relentless bike theft challenge the idyllic green paradise.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Big West Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
No
Air Force
No
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Recognized student veteran organization
Yes
Member of DoD Voluntary Educational Partnership MOU
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
93%
4 Years Graduation Rate
74%
6 Years Graduation Rate
89%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$80,838
93% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at University of California-Davis and return in the fall. 74% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 89% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
74%
4-5 years
15%
6-8 years
1%
Non-grad
10%
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Key Statistics
Type
Public
Tuition
$11,564
Acceptance
42%
Undergrads
32,273
4-Year Grad Rate
74%
Endowment
$681M
Davis, CA 95616-8678
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