More selective than 77% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $41,238. College Scorecard.
Higher than 86% of California colleges we cover and 93% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 82% of California colleges we cover and 93% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of California-Davis acceptance rate & admissions
Of 94,637 applicants, University of California-Davis admitted 39,400 and 6,578 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of California-Davis tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for California residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. At University of California and California State University campuses, the Middle Class Scholarship can also help families with income and assets up to $250,000 (2026-27, dependent students). Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
University of California-Davis majors, earnings & careers
University of California-Davis offers 94 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 34
- Humanities & Languages · 16
- Engineering · 15
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 13
- Arts & Design · 6
- Business & Finance · 4
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of California-Davis
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $145,422 | $12,804 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $138,673 | $14,282 |
| Engineering | $114,228 | $15,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | $102,649 | $16,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $102,161 | $15,000 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $98,504 | $15,977 |
| Civil Engineering | $95,939 | $16,101 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $93,414 | $19,058 |
Quick list of all 94 majors
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$93,414
- Agricultural / Animal / Plant / Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other—
- Agricultural Business—
- Agricultural Production Operations$58,236
- Animal Sciences$48,441
- Anthropology$56,836
- Apparel and Textiles—
- Applied Mathematics$65,508
- Area Studies—
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Biochemical Engineering—
- Biochemistry$70,754
- Biological / Biosystems Engineering—
- Biology$68,120
- Biomedical Engineering$98,504
- Biotechnology$87,406
- Botany / Plant Biology—
- Business Economics$87,455
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
- Chemical Engineering$102,649
- Chemistry$73,365
- City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning—
- Civil Engineering$95,939
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Cognitive Science$68,463
- Communications$72,778
- Computer and Information Sciences$138,673
- Computer Engineering$145,422
- Computer Science—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)$60,939
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$62,011
- Economics$83,248
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering$114,228
- English$59,012
- English Language and Literature / Letters, Other—
- Environmental Design—
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$65,983
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$58,670
- Film and Photography$57,999
- Food Science and Technology$70,571
- Forestry—
- Genetics$77,411
- Geology / Earth Science$73,337
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$62,209
- History$57,734
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- International Agriculture—
- International Relations$67,056
- Landscape Architecture—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics$58,443
- Management Science / Analytics$86,155
- Marine Sciences—
- Materials Engineering$89,983
- Mathematics$72,640
- Mechanical Engineering$102,161
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$74,343
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Natural Resources and Conservation, Other—
- Neuroscience$63,720
- Nutrition Science$64,519
- Pharmacology and Toxicology$63,567
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$73,595
- Philosophy$58,633
- Physical Sciences—
- Physical Sciences, Other—
- Physics$78,569
- Physiology$66,461
- Plant Sciences$72,335
- Political Science$67,759
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Research)$57,378
- Psychology, Other$60,257
- Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other$69,702
- Religious Studies$59,448
- Science, Technology and Society—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Sciences, Other$68,535
- Sociology$59,171
- Soil Sciences—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$60,797
- Statistics$88,033
- Studio Art$40,453
- Theatre$56,823
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$46,209
- Writing—
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Sacramento
Overall prices in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,135. Housing costs 30% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 19 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Yolo County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Yolo County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of California-Davis with similar schools
Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Davis | 42% | $14,741 | 86% | $80,838 | This school |
| San Diego State University | 36% | $15,364 | 76% | $64,909 | |
| University of California-Irvine | 29% | $14,251 | 87% | $80,735 | |
| University of California-San Diego | 27% | $12,470 | 86% | $84,943 | |
| California State University-Long Beach | 46% | $10,440 | 69% | $64,403 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of California-Davis would cost you $623 less per year than San Diego State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of California-Davis, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$8,046).
- University of California-Davis gives aided families $14,081 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | University of California-Davis | San Diego State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $16,774 | $8,728 | +$8,046 |
| Books & supplies | $1,381 | $908 | +$473 |
| Housing & meals | $19,068 | $21,630 | −$2,562 |
| Personal & travel | $5,359 | $3,244 | +$2,115 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,344 | −$6,730 | +$5,386 |
| Sticker price | $41,238 | $27,780 | +$13,458 |
| Average grants | −$26,497 | −$12,416 | −$14,081 |
| You pay | $14,741 | $15,364 | −$623 |
“+” means University of California-Davis costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about University of California-Davis
What is the University of California-Davis acceptance rate?
University of California-Davis accepts 42% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 39,400 of 94,637 applicants were admitted.
How much does University of California-Davis cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $41,238 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,741 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,211 and families earning $110k+ pay $31,272.
How much do University of California-Davis graduates earn?
Former University of California-Davis students earn a median $80,838 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of California-Davis graduation rate?
86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for their second year.
Is University of California-Davis the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of California-Davis: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-davis (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).