UC Davis vs. Stanford

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

UC Davis Stanford
Location Davis, CA Stanford, CA
Setting Small Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 39,679 18,283
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #92 #2
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdavis.edu stanford.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Davis Stanford
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $57,693
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $57,693
Room & Board $17,692 $18,619
Avg Net Price $17,385 $18,279
Avg Grant Aid $20,548 $60,619
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 53%

Admission

UC Davis Stanford
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 94,747 56,378
Admitted 35,377 2,075
Acceptance Rate 37.3% 3.7%
Enrolled % 18.1% 83.7%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.96
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition High Extreme
ACT Range 25/33 33/35
SAT Range 1160/1400 1500/1580
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Jan 2, 2025

Academics

UC Davis Stanford
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • General Studies (16%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (5%)

Outcomes

UC Davis Stanford
Graduation Rate 82% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,200 $122,900
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,676 $12,475
Median Loan Payment $151 $128

Diversity

UC Davis Stanford
% Men 41% 53%
% Women 59% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 28% 37%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 19% 15%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 10%
% International 11% 9%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

UC Davis Stanford
% In-State 75% 35%
% Out-of-State 7% 48%

Campus

UC Davis Stanford
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Davis is larger than than Stanford based on total student enrollment (39,679 students vs. 18,283 students)

UC Davis vs. Stanford Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or Stanford?

  • Stanford University is 398.9% more expensive to attend than UC Davis for in-state tuition ($57,693.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.6% higher at Stanford than University of California Davis ($57,693.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Davis than Stanford ($17,385 vs. $18,279)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Davis are 5.2% lower than costs at Stanford University ($17,692 vs. $18,619)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Davis than Stanford University (57% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Stanford University students is 195% larger than aid received University of California Davis ($60,619 vs. $20,548)

UC Davis vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Stanford University (1479) is 253 points higher than at UC Davis (1226)
  • Incoming Stanford students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at UC Davis (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Stanford (3.96)
  • UC Davis has a higher acceptance rate (37.3%) than Stanford (3.7%)

UC Davis vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Stanford is higher than University of California Davis (96% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from Stanford University earn on average $57,700 more per year than UC Davis graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $65,200)
  • Stanford University students graduate with a $2,201 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Davis graduates. ($12,475 vs. $14,676)
  • Stanford graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than UC Davis graduates. ($128 vs. $151)
  • More Stanford graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Davis students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 82%)

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