UC Davis vs. NC State

Should I go to University of California Davis or North Carolina State University at Raleigh? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Davis or NC State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of California Davis vs. North Carolina State University at Raleigh comparison
University of California Davis North Carolina State University at Raleigh College 3 College 4
University of California Davis North Carolina State University at Raleigh
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Overview

 UC Davis NC State
Location Davis, CA Raleigh, NC
Setting Small Suburban Large City
Enrollment 39,679 36,700
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #92 #123
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdavis.edu ncsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Davis NC State
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $6,535
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $28,276
Room & Board $17,692 $12,748
Avg Net Price $17,385 $14,852
Avg Grant Aid $20,548 $9,181
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 71%

Admission

 UC Davis NC State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 94,747 35,568
Admitted 35,377 16,779
Acceptance Rate 37.3% 47.2%
Enrolled % 18.1% 33.5%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.83
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 25/33 28/33
SAT Range 1160/1400 1280/1460
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

 UC Davis NC State
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Engineering (22%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Social Sciences (5%)

Outcomes

 UC Davis NC State
Graduation Rate 82% 72%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,200 $57,200
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,676 $20,782
Median Loan Payment $151 $214

Diversity

 UC Davis NC State
% Men 41% 51%
% Women 59% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 28% 74%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 19% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 11% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UC Davis NC State
% In-State 75% 83%
% Out-of-State 7% 14%

Campus

 UC Davis NC State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Davis is larger than than NC State based on total student enrollment (39,679 students vs. 36,700 students)

UC Davis vs. NC State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or NC State?

  • University of California Davis is 77% more expensive to attend than NC State for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $6,535.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 47.2% higher at UC Davis than North Carolina State University at Raleigh ($41,636.00 vs. $28,276.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at North Carolina State University at Raleigh than UC Davis ($14,852 vs. $17,385)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at North Carolina State University at Raleigh are 38.8% lower than costs at University of California Davis ($12,748 vs. $17,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at North Carolina State University at Raleigh than University of California Davis (71% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Davis students is 123.8% larger than aid received North Carolina State University at Raleigh ($20,548 vs. $9,181)

UC Davis vs. NC State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UC Davis or NC State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between NC State or UC Davis .

  • The average SAT score at North Carolina State University at Raleigh (1264) is 38 points higher than at UC Davis (1226)
  • Incoming NC State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UC Davis (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at NC State (3.83)
  • NC State has a higher acceptance rate (47.2%) than UC Davis (37.3%)

UC Davis vs. NC State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Davis or NC State? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between NC State and UC Davis.

  • The graduation rate at UC Davis is higher than North Carolina State University at Raleigh (82% vs. 72%)
  • Graduates from University of California Davis earn on average $8,000 more per year than NC State graduates after ten years. ($65,200 vs. $57,200)
  • University of California Davis students graduate with a $6,106 lower median federal student loan debt than NC State graduates. ($14,676 vs. $20,782)
  • UC Davis graduates are paying $63 less per month on federal student loans than NC State graduates. ($151 vs. $214)
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NC State students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 76%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/