UC Davis vs. UNC Chapel Hill

Should I go to University of California Davis or University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Davis or UNC Chapel Hill 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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill comparison
University of California Davis University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill College 3 College 4
University of California Davis University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Overview

UC Davis UNC Chapel Hill
Location Davis, CA Chapel Hill, NC
Setting Small Suburban Small City
Enrollment 39,679 31,705
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #92 #64
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdavis.edu unc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Davis UNC Chapel Hill
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $7,019
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $35,580
Room & Board $17,692 $12,254
Avg Net Price $17,385 $10,614
Avg Grant Aid $20,548 $18,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 40%

Admission

UC Davis UNC Chapel Hill
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 94,747 56,341
Admitted 35,377 9,639
Acceptance Rate 37.3% 17.1%
Enrolled % 18.1% 46%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.83
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Very High
ACT Range 25/33 30/34
SAT Range 1160/1400 1350/1530
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 15, 2024

Academics

UC Davis UNC Chapel Hill
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

UC Davis UNC Chapel Hill
Graduation Rate 82% 89%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,200 $66,100
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,676 $16,479
Median Loan Payment $151 $170

Diversity

UC Davis UNC Chapel Hill
% Men 41% 40%
% Women 59% 60%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 28% 64%
% Black 2% 8%
% Hispanic 19% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 11% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

UC Davis UNC Chapel Hill
% In-State 75% 83%
% Out-of-State 7% 12%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Davis is larger than than UNC Chapel Hill based on total student enrollment (39,679 students vs. 31,705 students)

UC Davis vs. UNC Chapel Hill Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or UNC Chapel Hill?

  • University of California Davis is 64.8% more expensive to attend than UNC Chapel Hill for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $7,019.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17% higher at UC Davis than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($41,636.00 vs. $35,580.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill than UC Davis ($10,614 vs. $17,385)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are 44.4% lower than costs at University of California Davis ($12,254 vs. $17,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Davis than University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (57% vs. 40%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Davis students is 13.7% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($20,548 vs. $18,066)

UC Davis vs. UNC Chapel Hill Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1343) is 117 points higher than at UC Davis (1226)
  • Incoming UNC Chapel Hill students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UC Davis (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UNC Chapel Hill (3.83)
  • UC Davis has a higher acceptance rate (37.3%) than UNC Chapel Hill (17.1%)

UC Davis vs. UNC Chapel Hill Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Davis or UNC Chapel Hill? 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 UNC Chapel Hill and UC Davis.

  • The graduation rate at UNC Chapel Hill is higher than University of California Davis (89% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earn on average $900 more per year than UC Davis graduates after ten years. ($66,100 vs. $65,200)
  • University of California Davis students graduate with a $1,803 lower median federal student loan debt than UNC Chapel Hill graduates. ($14,676 vs. $16,479)
  • UC Davis graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than UNC Chapel Hill graduates. ($151 vs. $170)
  • More UNC Chapel Hill graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Davis students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 82%)

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