UC Davis vs. IU

Deciding between University of California Davis and Indiana University Bloomington? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

University of California Davis
Indiana University Bloomington

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • UC Davis Davis, CA
  • IU Bloomington, IN
  • Setting
  • UC Davis Small Suburban
  • IU Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • UC Davis 40,065
  • IU 48,424
  • Type
  • UC Davis Public 4 Year
  • IU Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UC Davis #100
  • IU #207
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UC Davis -
  • IU -
  • Status
  • UC Davis Non-profit
  • IU Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UC Davis
  • IU

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UC Davis $16,774
  • IU $12,144
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UC Davis $50,974
  • IU $41,891
  • Room & Board
  • UC Davis $19,426
  • IU $13,984
  • Average Net Price
  • UC Davis $17,270
  • IU $17,270
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UC Davis $24,591
  • IU $10,487
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UC Davis 60%
  • IU 73%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UC Davis 98,864
  • IU 67,658
  • Admitted
  • UC Davis 41,353
  • IU 52,918
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UC Davis 41.8%
  • IU 78.2%
  • Enrolled
  • UC Davis 16.4%
  • IU 18.2%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UC Davis 1280
  • IU 1290
  • Typical ACT score
  • UC Davis 29
  • IU 30
  • Average High School GPA
  • UC Davis 4.0
  • IU 3.74
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UC Davis A/A+
  • IU A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • UC Davis Very High
  • IU Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • UC Davis Low
  • IU
  • ACT Range
  • UC Davis 25/33
  • IU 27/33
  • SAT Range
  • UC Davis 1160/1400
  • IU 1170/1400
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UC Davis Test-free
  • IU Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UC Davis Nov 30, 2026
  • IU

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UC Davis 22:1
  • IU 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UC Davis
    • Biology (19%)
    • Social Sciences (19%)
    • Psychology (10%)
    • Engineering (7%)
    • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • IU
    • Business (21%)
    • Communication (10%)
    • Social Sciences (8%)
    • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
    • Education (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UC Davis 82%
  • IU 72%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UC Davis $65,200
  • IU $56,200
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UC Davis 82%
  • IU 72%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UC Davis $14,676
  • IU $22,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UC Davis $151
  • IU $232

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UC Davis 42%
  • IU 50%
  • % Women
  • UC Davis 58%
  • IU 50%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UC Davis Very High
  • IU Medium
  • HBCU
  • UC Davis No
  • IU No
  • % White
  • UC Davis 28%
  • IU 71%
  • % Asian
  • UC Davis 32%
  • IU 4%
  • % Black
  • UC Davis 2%
  • IU 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • UC Davis 19%
  • IU 5%
  • % Native American
  • UC Davis 0%
  • IU 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UC Davis 0%
  • IU 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UC Davis 5%
  • IU 4%
  • % International
  • UC Davis 11%
  • IU 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UC Davis 1%
  • IU 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UC Davis 78%
  • IU 55%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UC Davis 5%
  • IU 41%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • UC Davis Yes
  • IU Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • UC Davis No
  • IU No
  • Meal Plan
  • UC Davis Yes
  • IU Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • UC Davis No
  • IU No
  • Daycare Facility
  • UC Davis Yes
  • IU Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare University of California Davis in Davis, CA with Indiana University Bloomington in Bloomington, IN on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Indiana University Bloomington is larger than UC Davis based on total student enrollment (48,424 students vs. 40,065 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of California Davis is located in Davis, CA (Small Suburban setting); Indiana University Bloomington is in Bloomington, IN (Small City setting).
  • University of California Davis is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Indiana University Bloomington is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of California Davis 22:1; Indiana University Bloomington 18:1.

UC Davis vs. IU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or IU? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is the same at University of California Davis and IU ($17,270).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Indiana University Bloomington are 28% lower than at University of California Davis ($13,984 vs. $19,426).
  • University of California Davis is 38.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than IU (about $4,630 more per year; $16,774.00 vs. $12,144.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 21.7% higher at UC Davis than at Indiana University Bloomington (about $9,083 more per year; $50,974.00 vs. $41,891.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Indiana University Bloomington than at University of California Davis (73% vs. 60%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Davis students is 134.5% larger than aid received by Indiana University Bloomington students ($24,591 vs. $10,487).

UC Davis vs. IU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UC Davis or IU? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between IU and UC Davis.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Indiana University Bloomington (1290) is 10 points higher than at UC Davis (1280).
  • Incoming IU students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (30 vs. 29 at UC Davis).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Davis 1160/1400; Indiana University Bloomington 1170/1400.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Davis 25/33; Indiana University Bloomington 27/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UC Davis - Test-free; IU - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UC Davis Nov 30, 2026.
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at IU (3.74).
  • IU has a higher acceptance rate (78.2%) than UC Davis (41.8%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 16.4% at UC Davis vs. 18.2% at IU.

UC Davis vs. IU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UC Davis and IU? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • University of California Davis's six-year graduation rate (82%) is higher than Indiana University Bloomington's (72%).
  • Graduates from University of California Davis earn a median of about $9,000 more per year than IU graduates about ten years after starting college ($65,200 vs. $56,200), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of California Davis graduates have a $7,824 lower median loan debt than IU graduates ($14,676 vs. $22,500).
  • Among borrowers, UC Davis graduates have an estimated $81 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than IU graduates ($151 vs. $232).
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IU students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 72%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.