UC Davis 2025 Admission Statistics

UC Davis Admission Guide — Class of 2030 (Applying 2025‑26)

“Aggies tackle real‑world problems the same way we farm: with curiosity, collaboration, and a bias for impact.” — UC Davis admissions advisor, May 2025

Why read this?

You’re a current junior who will click submit on the UC application between October  1 and November  30  2025.
UC Davis just released its 2024‑25 Common Data Set, spilling fresh numbers on admit rates, GPA bands, costs, and financial aid. Skip the spreadsheet dive and use this 1 700‑word cheat‑sheet—no tables, no fluff—to benchmark your profile, time every deadline, and craft an application that shouts Go Ags.

The Admission Landscape — Numbers in Plain English

• 98 869 first‑year applications last cycle.
• 41 353 offers → overall admit rate ≈ 42 %.
• 6 804 freshmen enrolled → 16 % yield (Californians accept at a higher clip than OOS/intl).
• Single deadline. UC Davis has no Early Action/Decision—everyone submits by Nov  30.
• Wait‑list odds. ~10 K invited; <20 % won a seat—plan as if WL = no.
• Stickiness. First‑year retention 93 %; six‑year grad rate 86 %—Aggies come, stay, and graduate.

Academic Profile of the 2024‑25 Admitted Class

• Test‑free for good. SAT/ACT scores not considered for admission—send only for placement or bragging rights.
• Weighted capped GPA (UC scale) middle‑50 %: 4.12 – 4.29.
• Unweighted GPA average: 3.90.
• Rank reality: 96 % of admits sit in the top quarter; two‑thirds in the top tenth.
• Course rigor reigns. Admits average 10+ AP/IB/dual‑enrollment courses, especially in math, lab science, and a world language through level 4.
• Selective colleges. Engineering, Computer Science, Biological Sciences, and Managerial Econ hike the bar ~0.15 GPA points.

What UC Davis Values (and How to Show It)

• Impact with evidence. Quantify outcomes—“reduced cafeteria waste 28 %,” “sequenced 300 bee genomes.”
• Interdisciplinary curiosity. Essays that connect viticulture to data science or animal science to public policy mirror UC Davis’ land‑grant DNA.
• Resilience & context. Own obstacles—rural broadband gaps, wildfire evacuations—and show growth.
• Community stewardship. Aggies serve: FFA officers, 4‑H leaders, peer‑tutoring founders—spell out hours, dollars, or users.
• Specific campus fit. Name‑drop the Arboretum living‑lab, C‑STEM Center, Cal Aggie Marching Band, or Whole Earth Festival instead of generic prestige.

The Money Question

• Sticker price 2025‑26 (annual).
  • CA resident: tuition + fees ≈ $17,350 · housing/food ≈ $20,800 → ≈ $38,100.
  • Non‑resident: add $33 500 NR tuition → ≈ $71,600.
• Blue & Gold Guarantee. CA families earning ≤ $80 K pay $0 tuition/fees.
• Middle‑Class Scholarship. Sliding aid up to incomes $217 K.
• Average first‑year need‑based grant package: $29,600; average loan load $6,300.
• Minimal merit. UC focuses on need—budget accordingly.
• Aid deadlines. FAFSA or CADAA + Cal Grant GPA form by March  2  2026.
• Net Price Calculator. Run it early—especially if you’re OOS.

Anticipated Timeline for Class of 2030

Spring  2025

• Confirm senior schedule: AP Calc BC or beyond, AP/IB lab science, fourth‑year language, AP Gov/Econ.
• Draft ideas for the four Personal Insight Questions (PIQs).

Summer  2025

• Write all four 350‑word PIQs; ask two readers for clarity and voice feedback.
• Deepen one flagship project—publish a research poster, launch an ag‑tech prototype, or scale a mutual‑aid garden.

Early Fall  2025

• Open the UC app Oct 1; enter courses exactly as on transcript.
• Attend a virtual “Aggie Info Day” or in‑person tour—helps essay nuance even if not scored.

November  30  2025 — Submit UC application & fee (no recs, no tests).
January  31  2026 — Update 7th‑semester grades in the UC Academic Update.
Late  March  2026 — Decisions & wait‑list invites drop.
May  1  2026 — Intent to Register + $250 deposit due.

Life on the Quad

• 22 : 1 student‑faculty ratio; upper‑division labs often <24 students.
• Residential first year. 90 % of freshmen live in dorms flanked by orange trees and bike trails.
• Bike culture. 20 miles of campus lanes, a two‑story bike barn, and law‑abiding ducks own the roads.
• Traditions. Picnic Day (giant open house + cow‑milking), Aggie Pack spirit squad, and midnight screeching at the Eggheads during finals.
• Sacramento Valley advantage. Intern at USDA, hack at Cisco’s Davis lab, or study sustainable ag in Napa—each <45 minutes away.

How to Decide If UC Davis Fits

1. Do you thrive in a research‑heavy environment with land‑grant ethos?
2. Will a bike‑powered, mid‑size college town fuel your lifestyle?
3. Can you handle quarter‑system pace (10 weeks + midterms in week 3)?
4. Does UC’s need‑based aid (little merit) mesh with your budget?

If three answers are “yes,” Davis belongs on your UC list—just remember the Nov 30 hard stop.

Quick‑Hit Checklist

• [ ] Keep unweighted GPA ≥ 3.9 with upward trend.
• [ ] Forget SAT/ACT; invest in AP/IBs, dual‑enrollment, and impact projects.
• [ ] Finish one measurable project by September—journal publication, grant award, or app launch.
• [ ] Draft four PIQs before Halloween; revise for voice, not thesaurus points.
• [ ] Submit UC app by Nov  30  2025—no extensions.
• [ ] File FAFSA/CADAA by March  2  2026.
• [ ] Celebrate with a scoop from Gunrock after you hit submit.

Final Word

UC Davis fuses top‑tier research with a bike‑friendly campus and an ag‑tech heartbeat that feeds California’s future. Admission is test‑free but razor‑sharp: maxed‑out coursework, a quantified impact story, and PIQs that breathe authenticity and initiative. Nail those, respect the timeline, and you could soon be pedaling past the Arboretum gardens on your way to Bio Brew lab.

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