University of California, Davis

Founded in 1905, the University of California, Davis is a public university. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 31,797 (Fall 2023) and is located on a 5,300-acre campus in a suburban area. The campus calendar is quarterly based. UC Davis is ranked 33rd among national universities in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges. In-state tuition and fees are $15,794 and out-of-state tuition and fees are $47,682.

UC Davis is one of 10 schools in the University of California system, and was originally a farm school for UC Berkeley. Located just 15 miles from Sacramento, UC Davis has an airport, a firehouse, and an outdoor sculpture complex called Eggheads on campus. There are more than 700 student organizations on campus, in addition to a sizable Greek community of about 65 fraternity and sorority chapters. All freshmen are guaranteed housing, and after their freshman year, students typically move off campus or live in on-campus apartments. The UC Davis Aggies feature 25 NCAA Division I teams, and students can join the Aggie Pack, the nation's largest student spirit organization.

UC Davis offers a wide range of academic options at its undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. Graduate programs at the school include the highly ranked Graduate School of Management, the School of Law, the School of Medicine, the School of Engineering, and the School of Veterinary Medicine. Other notable programs include the School of Education and the Betty Eileen Moore School of Nursing. Undergraduates can study in the College of Letters and Sciences, the College of Engineering, the College of Biological Sciences, or the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The UC Davis Arboretum is technically a public park, covering 100 acres with gardens stretching along a waterway.