UC Berkeley vs. UC Davis

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

 UC Berkeley UC Davis
Location Berkeley, CA Davis, CA
Setting Midsize City Small Suburban
Enrollment 45,307 39,679
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #63 #92
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu ucdavis.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Berkeley UC Davis
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $21,402 $17,692
Avg Net Price $19,257 $17,385
Avg Grant Aid $21,669 $20,548
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 57%

Admission

 UC Berkeley UC Davis
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 128,209 94,747
Admitted 14,523 35,377
Acceptance Rate 11.3% 37.3%
Enrolled % 46.3% 18.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High High
ACT Range 30/35 25/33
SAT Range 1310/1530 1160/1400
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, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

 UC Berkeley UC Davis
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)

Outcomes

 UC Berkeley UC Davis
Graduation Rate 90% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $65,200
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $14,676
Median Loan Payment $146 $151

Diversity

 UC Berkeley UC Davis
% Men 46% 41%
% Women 54% 59%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 28%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 14% 19%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 14% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 UC Berkeley UC Davis
% In-State 78% 75%
% Out-of-State 11% 7%

Campus

 UC Berkeley UC Davis
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 Berkeley is larger than than UC Davis based on total student enrollment (45,307 students vs. 39,679 students)

UC Berkeley vs. UC Davis Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or UC Davis?

  • University of California Berkeley and UC Davis 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 Berkeley as University of California Davis ($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 Davis than UC Berkeley ($17,385 vs. $19,257)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Davis are 21% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($17,692 vs. $21,402)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Davis than University of California Berkeley (57% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Berkeley students is 5.5% larger than aid received University of California Davis ($21,669 vs. $20,548)

UC Berkeley vs. UC Davis Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Berkeley (1397) is 171 points higher than at UC Davis (1226)
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at UC Davis (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UC Berkeley (3.87)
  • UC Davis has a higher acceptance rate (37.3%) than UC Berkeley (11.3%)

UC Berkeley vs. UC Davis Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is higher than University of California Davis (90% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from University of California Berkeley earn on average $9,500 more per year than UC Davis graduates after ten years. ($74,700 vs. $65,200)
  • University of California Berkeley students graduate with a $476 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Davis graduates. ($14,200 vs. $14,676)
  • UC Berkeley graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than UC Davis graduates. ($146 vs. $151)
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Berkeley students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 79%)

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