UC Davis vs. Rutgers

Deciding between University of California Davis and Rutgers University New Brunswick? 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
Rutgers University New Brunswick

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • UC Davis Davis, CA
  • Rutgers New Brunswick, NJ
  • Setting
  • UC Davis Small Suburban
  • Rutgers Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • UC Davis 40,065
  • Rutgers 52,269
  • Type
  • UC Davis Public 4 Year
  • Rutgers Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UC Davis #100
  • Rutgers #114
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UC Davis -
  • Rutgers -
  • Status
  • UC Davis Non-profit
  • Rutgers Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UC Davis
  • Rutgers

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UC Davis $16,774
  • Rutgers $17,929
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UC Davis $50,974
  • Rutgers $37,441
  • Room & Board
  • UC Davis $19,426
  • Rutgers $15,714
  • Average Net Price
  • UC Davis $17,270
  • Rutgers $20,522
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UC Davis $24,591
  • Rutgers $16,742
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UC Davis 60%
  • Rutgers 50%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UC Davis 98,864
  • Rutgers 68,614
  • Admitted
  • UC Davis 41,353
  • Rutgers 39,899
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UC Davis 41.8%
  • Rutgers 58.1%
  • Enrolled
  • UC Davis 16.4%
  • Rutgers 20.5%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UC Davis 1280
  • Rutgers 1410
  • Typical ACT score
  • UC Davis 29
  • Rutgers 30
  • Average High School GPA
  • UC Davis 4.0
  • Rutgers 3.3
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UC Davis A/A+
  • Rutgers B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • UC Davis Very High
  • Rutgers Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • UC Davis Low
  • Rutgers Low
  • ACT Range
  • UC Davis 25/33
  • Rutgers 28/33
  • SAT Range
  • UC Davis 1160/1400
  • Rutgers 1310/1500
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UC Davis Test-free
  • Rutgers Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UC Davis Nov 30, 2026
  • Rutgers

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UC Davis 22:1
  • Rutgers 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UC Davis
    • Biology (19%)
    • Social Sciences (19%)
    • Psychology (10%)
    • Engineering (7%)
    • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Rutgers
    • Social Sciences (16%)
    • Communication (10%)
    • Psychology (10%)
    • Biology (10%)
    • Engineering (8%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UC Davis 82%
  • Rutgers 77%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UC Davis $65,200
  • Rutgers $66,200
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UC Davis 82%
  • Rutgers 68%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UC Davis $14,676
  • Rutgers $22,215
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UC Davis $151
  • Rutgers $229

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UC Davis 42%
  • Rutgers 46%
  • % Women
  • UC Davis 58%
  • Rutgers 54%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UC Davis Very High
  • Rutgers Very High
  • HBCU
  • UC Davis No
  • Rutgers No
  • % White
  • UC Davis 28%
  • Rutgers 42%
  • % Asian
  • UC Davis 32%
  • Rutgers 26%
  • % Black
  • UC Davis 2%
  • Rutgers 7%
  • % Hispanic
  • UC Davis 19%
  • Rutgers 13%
  • % Native American
  • UC Davis 0%
  • Rutgers 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UC Davis 0%
  • Rutgers 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UC Davis 5%
  • Rutgers 3%
  • % International
  • UC Davis 11%
  • Rutgers 7%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UC Davis 1%
  • Rutgers 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UC Davis 78%
  • Rutgers 75%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UC Davis 5%
  • Rutgers 13%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare University of California Davis in Davis, CA with Rutgers University New Brunswick in New Brunswick, NJ on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Rutgers University New Brunswick is larger than UC Davis based on total student enrollment (52,269 students vs. 40,065 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of California Davis is located in Davis, CA (Small Suburban setting); Rutgers University New Brunswick is in New Brunswick, NJ (Small City setting).
  • University of California Davis is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Rutgers University New Brunswick is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of California Davis 22:1; Rutgers University New Brunswick 16:1.

UC Davis vs. Rutgers Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or Rutgers? 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 less at University of California Davis than Rutgers ($17,270 vs. $20,522).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rutgers University New Brunswick are 19.1% lower than at University of California Davis ($15,714 vs. $19,426).
  • Rutgers University New Brunswick is 6.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than UC Davis (about $1,155 more per year; $17,929.00 vs. $16,774.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 36.1% higher at UC Davis than at Rutgers University New Brunswick (about $13,533 more per year; $50,974.00 vs. $37,441.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of California Davis than at Rutgers University New Brunswick (60% vs. 50%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Davis students is 46.9% larger than aid received by Rutgers University New Brunswick students ($24,591 vs. $16,742).

UC Davis vs. Rutgers Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UC Davis or Rutgers? 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 Rutgers and UC Davis.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Rutgers University New Brunswick (1410) is 130 points higher than at UC Davis (1280).
  • Incoming Rutgers 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; Rutgers University New Brunswick 1310/1500.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Davis 25/33; Rutgers University New Brunswick 28/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UC Davis - Test-free; Rutgers - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UC Davis Nov 30, 2026.
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.7 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Rutgers (3.3).
  • Rutgers has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than UC Davis (41.8%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 16.4% at UC Davis vs. 20.5% at Rutgers.

UC Davis vs. Rutgers Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UC Davis and Rutgers? 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 Rutgers University New Brunswick's (77%).
  • Graduates from Rutgers University New Brunswick earn a median of about $1,000 more per year than UC Davis graduates about ten years after starting college ($66,200 vs. $65,200), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of California Davis graduates have a $7,539 lower median loan debt than Rutgers graduates ($14,676 vs. $22,215).
  • Among borrowers, UC Davis graduates have an estimated $78 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Rutgers graduates ($151 vs. $229).
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Rutgers students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 68%)

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.