University of California-Davis

University of California-Davis has steadily improved its position on the national stage, holding the 34th spot in the 2027 US News rankings. Gaining admission is moderately competitive, with an undergraduate admit rate of 41.8% that aligns with the median among similarly ranked public universities. While Davis turns away thousands of applicants each year, it faces challenges in converting admitted students into enrollments. Its yield rate reached 16.4%, which is higher than only 13% of peer institutions. This comparatively modest conversion rate indicates that many accepted candidates decide to attend alternative institutions. For prospective applicants, Davis offers a top-tier public research environment with accessible odds relative to other prominent institutions, though its lower yield suggests that applicants should evaluate their financial offers and personal fit against other competing admission offers.

University of California-Davis operates under a test-blind admissions policy, meaning standardized test scores are not considered during admissions evaluations even if submitted. Consequently, recent years have no published official score ranges. In 2021, before testing was excluded from reviews, 90% of enrolled students submitted SAT scores. To gauge the academic profile typically needed for acceptance, unofficial international applicant cases collected by Forward Pathway show that admitted students had a median unweighted GPA of 3.82, compared to a median unweighted GPA of 3.55 among denied applicants. For additional context, Forward Pathway's unofficial records also showed a median SAT of 1350 among admitted international applicants. Because official SAT and ACT scores play no role in review decisions, applicants should concentrate on high school course rigor and sustaining strong classroom performance throughout their secondary school studies.

Academic degrees at University of California-Davis are broadly distributed rather than concentrated in just a few disciplines. In 2025, the top three bachelor's programs accounted for 20.6% of all undergraduate degrees awarded, showing wide dispersion across disciplines. The largest undergraduate major was Research and Experimental Psychology, Other, which graduated 903 students. Several of the school's most popular areas correspond to its highest academic standings; in the US News rankings, undergraduate Psychology was ranked 8th in 2027, while Biological/Agricultural Engineering held a standout 2nd place. In contrast, career compensation peaks in technical and computing tracks rather than the largest social science majors. According to 2023 earnings data, graduates in Computer Engineering achieved a median salary of $94,722 within their first year in the workforce. Prospective students thus find both top-tier academic reputation in the life and agricultural sciences and strong earning power in engineering tracks.

The student body at University of California-Davis is predominantly undergraduate, with substantial representation from Asian and international scholars. Asian undergraduates comprise the largest racial cohort on campus, numbering 7,316 continuing students, or 32% of that community. Latino and White students also make up significant portions of the undergraduate ranks, while female students hold a steady majority across all academic divisions. Global representation is equally prominent, as incoming international freshmen numbered 1,046 students, making up 15.5% of the first-year cohort. At the graduate level, international enrollment expands further to become the second-largest group, while domestic Asian scholars also maintain an active presence. For prospective students, this demographic breakdown reflects a campus where domestic multicultural students and international scholars coexist across undergraduate residence halls and advanced research departments.

University of California-Davis maintains a predominantly traditional undergraduate student body alongside an early-career graduate cohort. In 2025, students aged 20 to 21 constituted the largest undergraduate segment at 43.2%, while those aged 18 to 19 accounted for 39.1%. Meanwhile, the graduate school population is older, led by students aged 25 to 29 at 43.1%, followed by those aged 22 to 24 at 25.3%. For prospective students, this profile indicates that undergraduate campus activities and residential life are tailored almost entirely to young adults entering straight from high school, whereas graduate programs offer an academic environment centered on individuals who have moved beyond their early twenties.

International students maintain a substantial presence at University of California-Davis, particularly in advanced technical and quantitative degrees. Undergraduate international enrollment has trended upward over time, reaching 12.8% in 2025, which is higher than 97% of peer public research universities with similar rankings. Graduate international representation also expanded, rising to 23.6% of graduate students that same year. International degree recipients concentrate heavily in quantitative and technical fields. At the bachelor's level, international students represented 43.8% of degree recipients in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, with notable shares in management sciences and computer science. At the graduate level, international scholars gravitate toward computer science and specialized legal programs among master's degrees, as well as engineering disciplines at the doctoral level. For prospective international applicants, Davis offers a well-established global community, particularly for students pursuing mathematical, computational, and technical disciplines.

Applicants considering University of California-Davis can evaluate several other institutions across northern and central California. Located 53.8 kilometers away, University of California-Berkeley is a premier public university ranked 20th in the 2027 US News Best Colleges rankings. In Stockton, University of Pacific sits 45.3 kilometers from Davis and holds a national university ranking of 121st. Further south in the San Francisco Bay Area, Stanford University is a leading private research university ranked 5th, positioned 80 kilometers away. Families looking for smaller private institutions can also look at Santa Clara University, located 82.9 kilometers away with a rank of 55th. These alternatives give students a balanced selection of prominent public systems and private institutions within driving distance of Davis.

Campus safety records at University of California-Davis show that property offenses constitute the main security concern. The university's crime rate per 1,000 students rose from 6.5 in 2016 to 16 in 2025. Looking at cumulative category totals from 2023 to 2025, motor vehicle theft was the most prevalent infraction by a wide margin, accounting for 608 incidents across that timeframe. General theft formed the second-largest category, with 287 reported incidents during the same period. Interpersonal offenses and disciplinary violations, including sexual harassment, stalking, and drug arrests, occurred in smaller volumes over those years. While violent crimes remain relatively infrequent compared to property losses, the high incidence of vehicular theft underscores the need for students to secure bicycles, cars, and personal belongings across campus parking facilities and residential lots.