UC Davis vs. UCLA

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

 UC Davis UCLA
Location Davis, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Small Suburban Large City
Enrollment 39,679 46,430
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #92 #58
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdavis.edu ucla.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Davis UCLA
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,692 $17,231
Avg Net Price $17,385 $16,999
Avg Grant Aid $20,548 $21,766
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 46%

Admission

 UC Davis UCLA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 94,747 149,801
Admitted 35,377 12,845
Acceptance Rate 37.3% 8.6%
Enrolled % 18.1% 50.3%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.92
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition High Extreme
ACT Range 25/33 29/35
SAT Range 1160/1400 1300/1530
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 UCLA
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)

Outcomes

 UC Davis UCLA
Graduation Rate 82% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,200 $70,700
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,676 $16,300
Median Loan Payment $151 $168

Diversity

 UC Davis UCLA
% Men 41% 43%
% Women 59% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 28% 27%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 19% 21%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 11% 13%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UC Davis UCLA
% In-State 75% 77%
% Out-of-State 7% 15%

Campus

 UC Davis UCLA
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 Los Angeles is larger than than UC Davis based on total student enrollment (46,430 students vs. 39,679 students)

UC Davis vs. UCLA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or UCLA?

  • University of California Davis and UCLA 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 Los Angeles ($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 Los Angeles than UC Davis ($16,999 vs. $17,385)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Los Angeles are 2.7% lower than costs at University of California Davis ($17,231 vs. $17,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Davis than University of California Los Angeles (57% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 5.9% larger than aid received University of California Davis ($21,766 vs. $20,548)

UC Davis vs. UCLA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 113 points higher than at UC Davis (1226)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UC Davis (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UCLA (3.92)
  • UC Davis has a higher acceptance rate (37.3%) than UCLA (8.6%)

UC Davis vs. UCLA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than University of California Davis (90% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $5,500 more per year than UC Davis graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $65,200)
  • University of California Davis students graduate with a $1,624 lower median federal student loan debt than UCLA graduates. ($14,676 vs. $16,300)
  • UC Davis graduates are paying $17 less per month on federal student loans than UCLA graduates. ($151 vs. $168)
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCLA students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 78%)

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