UC Davis vs. UCI

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

UC Davis UCI
Location Davis, CA Irvine, CA
Setting Small Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 39,679 35,937
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #92 #91
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdavis.edu uci.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Davis UCI
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,692 $17,699
Avg Net Price $17,385 $14,033
Avg Grant Aid $20,548 $17,411
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 80%

Admission

UC Davis UCI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 94,747 119,191
Admitted 35,377 25,212
Acceptance Rate 37.3% 21.2%
Enrolled % 18.1% 22.5%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.75
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition High Very High
ACT Range 25/33 26/33
SAT Range 1160/1400 1230/1430
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 Davis UCI
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)

Outcomes

UC Davis UCI
Graduation Rate 82% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,200 $61,800
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,676 $17,000
Median Loan Payment $151 $175

Diversity

UC Davis UCI
% Men 41% 45%
% Women 59% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 28% 15%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 19% 25%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 11% 16%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

UC Davis UCI
% In-State 75% 81%
% Out-of-State 7% 7%

Campus

UC Davis UCI
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 Davis is larger than than UCI based on total student enrollment (39,679 students vs. 35,937 students)

UC Davis vs. UCI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or UCI?

  • University of California Davis and UCI 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 Davis as University of California Irvine ($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 Irvine than UC Davis ($14,033 vs. $17,385)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Davis are 0% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($17,692 vs. $17,699)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Irvine than University of California Davis (80% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Davis students is 18% larger than aid received University of California Irvine ($20,548 vs. $17,411)

UC Davis vs. UCI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Davis (1226) is 51 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming UC Davis students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UCI (27)
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UCI (3.75)
  • UC Davis has a higher acceptance rate (37.3%) than UCI (21.2%)

UC Davis vs. UCI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than University of California Davis (85% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from University of California Davis earn on average $3,400 more per year than UCI graduates after ten years. ($65,200 vs. $61,800)
  • University of California Davis students graduate with a $2,324 lower median federal student loan debt than UCI graduates. ($14,676 vs. $17,000)
  • UC Davis graduates are paying $24 less per month on federal student loans than UCI graduates. ($151 vs. $175)
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCI students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 76%)

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