UC Davis vs U of A

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Davis, California, and Tucson, Arizona, home to the esteemed University of California-Davis (UC Davis) and the University of Arizona (UArizona), respectively. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and offer a diverse range of programs, they possess distinct characteristics that may influence your higher education journey. UC Davis boasts a lower acceptance rate, indicating its highly selective admissions process, while UArizona welcomes a larger proportion of applicants. Explore the nuances of their popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, meticulously presented in the comparison table below. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations, personal preferences, and future goals.
University of Arizona logo

University of Arizona

University of California-Davis logo

University of California-Davis

Overview

Location Tucson, Arizona Davis, California
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 84.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 87.3% 48.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $85
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range 1120 - 1370 N/A
ACT range 21 - 29 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 13.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0%
Total number of applicants 48,065 87,120
Total number of admissions given out 41,946 42,475
Admitted students who chose to enroll 8,436 7,482
Yield rate 20.1% 17.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $30,136

Out of state: $54,658
In state: $32,584

Out of state: $62,338
Average net price $17,242 $16,640
Tuition
In state: $11,299

Out of state: $35,821
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,400

Meal plan: $5,050
$17,018
Available payment plans
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

92.0%
Average amount $13,790
59.0%
Average amount $17,628
Students receiving federal student loan 24.0%
Average amount $4,845
23.0%
Average amount $4,043
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $20,814
11.0%
Average amount $3,360

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 37,434
Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
31,657
Men 39.8% Women 60.2%
Graduate students 10,840
Men 44.5% Women 55.5%
8,393
Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 48.8% 7.5%
International students 6.5% 17.0%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity 7,036 11,142
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Arizona California Washington Illinois Colorado California Washington Illinois Texas Hawaii

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Agriculture
  • Engineering
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 17:1 21:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 64.3% 86.9%
Dropout rate 14.3% 11.8%
Transferred out 19.6% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Physics (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,673
  • Year 2: $123,527
  • Year 3: $127,192
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,426
  • Year 2: $117,473
  • Year 3: $122,962
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,630
  • Year 2: $103,746
  • Year 3: $104,908
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,116
  • Year 2: $83,388
  • Year 3: $98,461
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,677
  • Year 2: $92,743
  • Year 3: $98,271
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $96,308
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,806
  • Year 2: $75,518
  • Year 3: $89,884
Mining and Mineral Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,657
  • Year 2: $73,035
  • Year 3: $87,557
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,627
  • Year 2: $79,199
  • Year 3: $86,387
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,284
  • Year 2: $74,953
  • Year 3: $83,742
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $121,903
  • Year 2: $135,393
  • Year 3: $137,917
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $127,500
  • Year 2: $125,015
  • Year 3: $135,009
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,299
  • Year 2: $116,258
  • Year 3: $127,335
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,488
  • Year 2: $81,609
  • Year 3: $103,694
Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,669
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $100,961
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $112,976
  • Year 2: $98,186
  • Year 3: $99,585
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,487
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $98,364
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $87,604
  • Year 3: $94,032
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,487
  • Year 2: $70,370
  • Year 3: $89,594
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,514
  • Year 2: $74,262
  • Year 3: $87,586

Compare Similar Colleges

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