Learning by doing
highResearch and field settings connect learning with practice.
COLLEGE FIT GUIDE
Evidence checked · 2026-10-06
University of California Davis
UC Davis is a major public research university with unusual strengths in agriculture, environment, biological sciences, engineering, health, and sustainability. Its bicycle-oriented college town and large campus support an outdoorsy, collaborative feel despite institutional scale.
- Research grounded in living systems
- Academic choices and structure
- Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
QUICK READ
- Location
- Davis, California · College-town setting
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 32,253
- Aggregate admission rate
- 41.8%
- Average net price
- $14,741
FIT SNAPSHOT
How this environment may feel
These are directional interpretations of the college environment, not a score or universal verdict.
Outdoor access
highA bike-oriented town and regional landscapes support outdoor life.
Community closeness
moderateThe college town can make a large university feel coherent.
Academic intensity
highMajor research activity supports demanding study.
WHY IT MAY FIT
Consider University of California Davis if…
- You want biological and environmental strength.
- You value undergraduate research.
- You like a bike-oriented college town.
- You want public-university breadth.
POSSIBLE TENSIONS
It may not fit if…
- You want a major-city campus.
- You prefer a small private college.
- You need uniformly small classes.
- You are sensitive to California housing costs.
WHAT STANDS OUT
The environment behind the name
Research grounded in living systems
Students can join research across laboratories, farms, field stations, health, engineering, and social inquiry.
Source: Undergraduate Research Center
Academic choices and structure
Academic breadth extends well beyond agriculture while retaining a strong applied and environmental identity.
Source: Undergraduate Academics
A setting that shapes the experience
Davis, California gives students a distinct context for campus life, work, community, and recreation.
Source: Undergraduate Academics
LOOK CLOSER
Questions worth asking before you decide
Use these prompts during a visit, an information session, or a conversation with a current student.
- 1
Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
UC Davis documents substantial opportunities, but availability can differ by program, timing, prerequisites, capacity, and student initiative.
Source: Undergraduate Academics
- 2
Interpret scale and selectivity carefully
Federal data report 32,253 undergraduates and an aggregate admission rate of 41.8%. These figures describe the institution, not an individual applicant’s probability or a particular program’s experience.
- 3
Use the current price for your circumstances
Federal data report an average net price of $14,741. This historical average is not a quote; residency, income, housing, aid eligibility, and program costs can materially change what a family pays.
FEDERAL CLERY DATA
Campus safety statistics, with context
Federal Clery records describe reported incidents within defined campus geography. They are not a measure of crime prevalence or an overall safety rating.
2024 reported on-campus offenses:533
Per 1,000 enrolled:13.3
Reporting campuses:2
COMPARE THE TRADEOFFS
Schools that sharpen the question
A useful comparison for students evaluating UC Davis across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating UC Davis across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating UC Davis across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
EVIDENCE
Sources and method
View the reviewed sources
- Undergraduate Academics - University of California Davis (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- Undergraduate Research Center - University of California Davis (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- University of California Davis institutional data - U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (federal, retrieved 2026-10-06)
Navastra interprets UC Davis’s documented academic environment, setting, opportunities, and federal reference fields through preference dimensions. The page describes documented structures, not every student’s experience. It does not calculate an individual fit score, predict admission, or estimate a financial-aid award. Read the methodology →
Programs, policies, costs, and campus life change. Verify current details with the college ↗
PERSONALIZE THE QUESTION