UC Davis vs. UCSB

Should I go to University of California Davis or University of California Santa Barbara? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Davis or UCSB 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. University of California Santa Barbara comparison
University of California Davis University of California Santa Barbara College 3 College 4
University of California Davis University of California Santa Barbara
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Overview

UC Davis UCSB
Location Davis, CA Santa Barbara, CA
Setting Small Suburban Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 39,679 26,420
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #92 #109
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdavis.edu ucsb.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Davis UCSB
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,692 $16,883
Avg Net Price $17,385 $16,874
Avg Grant Aid $20,548 $20,389
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 53%

Admission

UC Davis UCSB
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 94,747 110,995
Admitted 35,377 28,688
Acceptance Rate 37.3% 25.8%
Enrolled % 18.1% 17.3%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.82
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition High High
ACT Range 25/33 28/34
SAT Range 1160/1400 1230/1460
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

UC Davis UCSB
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

UC Davis UCSB
Graduation Rate 82% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,200 $59,000
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,676 $16,451
Median Loan Payment $151 $170

Diversity

UC Davis UCSB
% Men 41% 45%
% Women 59% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 28% 35%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 19% 26%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 8%
% International 11% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

UC Davis UCSB
% In-State 75% 78%
% Out-of-State 7% 10%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Davis is larger than than UCSB based on total student enrollment (39,679 students vs. 26,420 students)

UC Davis vs. UCSB Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or UCSB?

  • University of California Davis and UCSB cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UC Davis as University of California Santa Barbara ($41,636.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Barbara than UC Davis ($16,874 vs. $17,385)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Barbara are 4.8% lower than costs at University of California Davis ($16,883 vs. $17,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Davis than University of California Santa Barbara (57% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Davis students is 0.8% larger than aid received University of California Santa Barbara ($20,548 vs. $20,389)

UC Davis vs. UCSB Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Barbara (1248) is 22 points higher than at UC Davis (1226)
  • Incoming UCSB students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UC Davis (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UCSB (3.82)
  • UC Davis has a higher acceptance rate (37.3%) than UCSB (25.8%)

UC Davis vs. UCSB Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Davis or UCSB? 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 UCSB and UC Davis.

  • The graduation rate at UC Davis is higher than University of California Santa Barbara (82% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from University of California Davis earn on average $6,200 more per year than UCSB graduates after ten years. ($65,200 vs. $59,000)
  • University of California Davis students graduate with a $1,775 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSB graduates. ($14,676 vs. $16,451)
  • UC Davis graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than UCSB graduates. ($151 vs. $170)
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSB students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 73%)

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