University in United States
Davis, CA, United States
University profile
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is a public research university in Davis, California, a college town of about 68,000 people roughly 15 miles west of Sacramento. It was founded in 1908 to serve the state of California, opening as the University Farm of UC Berkeley, and became a general campus of the University of California in 1959. It has the largest student population in the University of California system, with 39,414 students.
The main campus covers 5,300 acres next to downtown Davis. UC Davis Health, the region's only academic health center, sits on the Sacramento campus about 20 minutes away and includes a 625-bed teaching hospital. Other sites include the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Bodega Marine Laboratory, the San Diego Veterinary Medicine Center, the Natural Reserve System, the UC Center Sacramento and Part-Time MBA locations in San Ramon and Sacramento.
Academics are organised into four undergraduate-serving colleges: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering and Letters and Science. Graduate and professional study is offered through Graduate Studies and the Graduate School of Management, School of Education, School of Law, School of Medicine, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing and Weill School of Veterinary Medicine. The university offers 107 academic majors and 101 graduate degrees, with a 21:1 student to faculty ratio.
UC Davis is known for agriculture and veterinary medicine, and for work in food and wine science at the Robert Mondavi Institute, sustainability, biomedical research and the environment. Undergraduates take part in research, and the university lists the Manetti Shrem Museum and four other campus museums and collections.
Student life centres on residence halls (Segundo, Tercero and Cuarto), The Green at West Village and UC Davis Apartments, with residential academic centres, student-run gardens and shared-interest communities. The Memorial Union, the Silo, the Activities and Recreation Center and the Arboretum are campus hubs. 25 Division I sports teams compete as the Aggies, and the Center for Student Involvement lists more than 900 student organisations. Bicycles are a distinctive feature of campus transport.
More than 4,500 international undergraduates study at UC Davis. Services for International Students and Scholars supports visas and immigration, International and Academic English offers academic English programmes, and Summer Start, a Global Ambassadors mentorship programme, the Pal Program and International House Davis support new international students.
For students first enrolling in 2026-27, systemwide tuition and fees are $15,588 and campus-based fees $2,490 for California residents. Non-residents pay an additional systemwide nonresident supplemental tuition of $39,270. The University of California holds systemwide tuition and fees flat for up to six years after a student's first term.
Most need-based aid requires the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (UC Davis code 001313), with a priority deadline of March 2. 68% of undergraduates receive aid (average $29,560 per award), and 69% graduate debt-free. The UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan covers UC tuition for most California students from families earning up to $100,000 with assets below $500,000.
More than $7 million in merit-based undergraduate scholarships is available, ranging from $100 to $17,000 per academic year, and entering students are considered automatically through the UC application. Notable awards include the Regents Scholarship ($7,500 per year) and the Provost Award for admitted first-year students from outside California. See the undergraduate scholarships page.
Most types of financial aid are not available to students on F-1, F-2, G, H or J visas, but they may be eligible for scholarships, private loans and short-term loans. Out-of-state students are eligible for federal aid through the FAFSA, but state and university need-based funding is not available. See aid for international students.
Graduate students are supported through teaching and research assistantships (salary plus tuition and fee remission), fellowships (stipend plus tuition and fees), loans, grants and work-study. See graduate financial support.
UC Davis Regents Scholarship →
UC Davis Undergraduate Campus Scholarships →
UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan →
UC Davis Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships →
Browse the scholarships listed for University of California, Davis and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for University of California, Davis →Applicants need a high school diploma (or equivalent) and must complete the UC A-G subject pattern: history or social science (2 years), English (4), mathematics (3, 4 recommended), laboratory science (2, 3 recommended), language other than English (2, 3 recommended), visual and performing arts (1) and a college preparatory elective (1). The minimum GPA is 3.00 for California residents and 3.40 for non-residents. UC Davis is test-blind: it does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission decisions or scholarship awards, although scores may be self-reported after submitting the application and may be used to meet minimum subject requirements or for course placement. SAT Subject Tests are not required.
AP exam scores of 3, 4 or 5 on specific tests earn credit for certain courses. An IB diploma with a score of 30 or higher earns 4 semester or 6 quarter units, and Higher Level exams scoring 5, 6 or 7 earn eight quarter units each; Standard Level exams earn no credit.
Applicants use the University of California application, which opens August 1 and is submitted between October 1 and November 30; one application covers any UC campus. The application also serves as the first-year scholarship application. Admitted students submit a Statement of Intent to Register by May 1. The filing fee is $80 per campus for domestic applicants and $95 per campus for international applicants, with fee waivers for up to four UC campuses for eligible students.
Transfer applicants complete at least 60 semester or 90 quarter UC-transferable units, a seven-course pattern (two English composition, one mathematical or quantitative reasoning, four from at least two of arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, physical and biological sciences) with C grades or better, and meet a minimum 2.80 GPA for admission (UC minimum 2.40, or 2.80 for non-residents). Selective majors require higher GPAs and extra preparation. The Transfer Admission Guarantee offers eligible California Community College students in select majors a guaranteed path. Very few lower-division transfers are admitted.
International applicants apply as first-year or transfer students and meet the same requirements and selection process as U.S. applicants. They must complete secondary school with strong grades and a certificate granting access to university-level study in their country. Coursework is reported as it appears on original academic records, without converting grades or using credential evaluation services. English proficiency is required for applicants who studied in the United States fewer than three years and were taught in another language, and can be shown through specific AP or IB exams, transferable college coursework, TOEFL, IELTS or the Duolingo English Test. International students need a passport and an F-1 or J-1 visa.
Applicants need a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent international degree, and an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (exceptions may be requested by programmes). English proficiency is shown by a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, a degree from an institution where English is the sole language of instruction, or TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores meeting graduate minimums. The application fee is $135 for domestic applicants and $155 for international applicants, per programme. Individual programmes may add requirements such as GRE scores, writing samples or portfolios.
Housing includes Segundo, Tercero and Cuarto residence halls, The Green at West Village and UC Davis Apartments, with student markets, dining halls, resident gardens and residential academic centres.
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