U of A vs. UC Davis

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

U of A UC Davis
Location Tucson, AZ Davis, CA
Setting Large City Small Suburban
Enrollment 49,403 39,679
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #294 #92
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website arizona.edu ucdavis.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

U of A UC Davis
Tuition (In State) $11,525 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $37,827 $41,636
Room & Board $13,650 $17,692
Avg Net Price $17,075 $17,385
Avg Grant Aid $15,279 $20,548
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 57%

Admission

U of A UC Davis
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 52,091 94,747
Admitted 45,194 35,377
Acceptance Rate 86.8% 37.3%
Enrolled % 20% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 4.0
Typical High School Grades B+ A/A+
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 21/29 25/33
SAT Range 1140/1370 1160/1400
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023

Academics

U of A UC Davis
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)

Outcomes

U of A UC Davis
Graduation Rate 61% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $54,000 $65,200
Making Student Loan Payments 66% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $14,676
Median Loan Payment $196 $151

Diversity

U of A UC Davis
% Men 45% 41%
% Women 55% 59%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 52% 28%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 25% 19%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

U of A UC Davis
% In-State 47% 75%
% Out-of-State 48% 7%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Arizona is larger than than UC Davis based on total student enrollment (49,403 students vs. 39,679 students)

U of A vs. UC Davis Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, U of A or UC Davis?

  • University of California Davis is 0.3% more expensive to attend than U of A for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,525.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.1% higher at UC Davis than University of Arizona ($41,636.00 vs. $37,827.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Arizona than UC Davis ($17,075 vs. $17,385)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arizona are 29.6% lower than costs at University of California Davis ($13,650 vs. $17,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Arizona than University of California Davis (98% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Davis students is 34.5% larger than aid received University of Arizona ($20,548 vs. $15,279)

U of A vs. UC Davis Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.52 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at U of A (3.48)
  • U of A has a higher acceptance rate (86.8%) than UC Davis (37.3%)

U of A vs. UC Davis Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, U of A or UC Davis? 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 UC Davis and U of A.

  • The graduation rate at UC Davis is higher than University of Arizona (82% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from University of California Davis earn on average $11,200 more per year than U of A graduates after ten years. ($65,200 vs. $54,000)
  • University of California Davis students graduate with a $4,324 lower median federal student loan debt than U of A graduates. ($14,676 vs. $19,000)
  • UC Davis graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than U of A graduates. ($151 vs. $196)
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former U of A students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 66%)

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