UC Davis vs. Penn State

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

 UC Davis Penn State
Location Davis, CA University Park, PA
Setting Small Suburban Small City
Enrollment 39,679 50,028
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #92 #167
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdavis.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Davis Penn State
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $35,946
Room & Board $17,692 $12,744
Avg Net Price $17,385 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $20,548 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 44%

Admission

 UC Davis Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 94,747 85,784
Admitted 35,377 47,360
Acceptance Rate 37.3% 55.2%
Enrolled % 18.1% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 -
Typical High School Grades A/A+ -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 25/33 26/31
SAT Range 1160/1400 1210/1390
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

Academics

 UC Davis Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UC Davis Penn State
Graduation Rate 82% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,676 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $151 $277

Diversity

 UC Davis Penn State
% Men 41% 53%
% Women 59% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 28% 69%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 19% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 11% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UC Davis Penn State
% In-State 75% 51%
% Out-of-State 7% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UC Davis based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 39,679 students)

UC Davis vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Main Campus is 58.8% more expensive to attend than UC Davis for in-state tuition ($18,368.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 15.8% higher at UC Davis than Penn State Main Campus ($41,636.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Davis than Penn State ($17,385 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 38.8% lower than costs at University of California Davis ($12,744 vs. $17,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Davis than Penn State Main Campus (57% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Davis students is 104.1% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($20,548 vs. $10,066)

UC Davis vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Davis (1226) is 24 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming UC Davis students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (55.2%) than UC Davis (37.3%)

UC Davis vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Davis or Penn 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 Penn State and UC Davis.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of California Davis (87% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from University of California Davis earn on average $9,900 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($65,200 vs. $55,300)
  • University of California Davis students graduate with a $12,142 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($14,676 vs. $26,818)
  • UC Davis graduates are paying $126 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($151 vs. $277)
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 69%)

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