UC Davis vs. Claremont McKenna

Should I go to University of California Davis or Claremont McKenna College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Davis or Claremont McKenna 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Pomona UCSD UCSB UCI UCSC UC Berkeley HMC USC UW-Seattle Cal Poly UCLA UC Merced
University of California Davis vs. Claremont McKenna College comparison
University of California Davis Claremont McKenna College College 3 College 4
University of California Davis Claremont McKenna College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UC Davis Claremont McKenna
Location Davis, CA Claremont, CA
Setting Small Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 39,679 1,389
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #92 #18
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdavis.edu claremontmckenna.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Davis Claremont McKenna
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $60,480
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $60,480
Room & Board $17,692 $18,712
Avg Net Price $17,385 $28,701
Avg Grant Aid $20,548 $50,020
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 49%

Admission

UC Davis Claremont McKenna
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 94,747 5,709
Admitted 35,377 591
Acceptance Rate 37.3% 10.4%
Enrolled % 18.1% 54.5%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.89
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition High Very High
ACT Range 25/33 33/35
SAT Range 1160/1400 1440/1550
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 5, 2024

Academics

UC Davis Claremont McKenna
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Social Sciences (44%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Business (7%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

UC Davis Claremont McKenna
Graduation Rate 82% 91%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,200 $97,800
Making Student Loan Payments 82% -
Median Student Loan Debt $14,676 $14,967
Median Loan Payment $151 $154

Diversity

UC Davis Claremont McKenna
% Men 41% 49%
% Women 59% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 28% 42%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 19% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 11% 17%
% Unknown Race 1% 6%

Students

UC Davis Claremont McKenna
% In-State 75% 42%
% Out-of-State 7% 41%

Campus

UC Davis Claremont McKenna
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 Claremont McKenna based on total student enrollment (39,679 students vs. 1,389 students)

UC Davis vs. Claremont McKenna Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or Claremont McKenna?

  • Claremont McKenna College is 423% more expensive to attend than UC Davis for in-state tuition ($60,480.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.3% higher at Claremont McKenna than University of California Davis ($60,480.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Davis than Claremont McKenna ($17,385 vs. $28,701)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Davis are 5.8% lower than costs at Claremont McKenna College ($17,692 vs. $18,712)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Davis than Claremont McKenna College (57% vs. 49%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Claremont McKenna College students is 143.4% larger than aid received University of California Davis ($50,020 vs. $20,548)

UC Davis vs. Claremont McKenna Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Claremont McKenna College (1408) is 182 points higher than at UC Davis (1226)
  • Incoming Claremont McKenna students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UC Davis (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Claremont McKenna (3.89)
  • UC Davis has a higher acceptance rate (37.3%) than Claremont McKenna (10.4%)

UC Davis vs. Claremont McKenna Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Davis or Claremont McKenna? 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 Claremont McKenna and UC Davis.

  • The graduation rate at Claremont McKenna is higher than University of California Davis (91% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from Claremont McKenna College earn on average $32,600 more per year than UC Davis graduates after ten years. ($97,800 vs. $65,200)
  • University of California Davis students graduate with a $291 lower median federal student loan debt than Claremont McKenna graduates. ($14,676 vs. $14,967)
  • UC Davis graduates are paying $3 less per month on federal student loans than Claremont McKenna graduates. ($151 vs. $154)

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