UC Davis Acceptance Rate (2026): General, State & Transfer

UC Davis’s year-over-year acceptance rate

UC Davis has seen interest and applications grow steadily over the last few years, setting a new record of 104,850 applications for the 2026 application cycle. In response, the college has admitted the largest class of students in history.

What is UC Davis’s in-state acceptance rate?

The in-state acceptance rate for UC Davis is 37.1%, a 0.5% increase from the previous year. California residents make up the majority of the applicant pool for the University of California system, making the competition high and the admission rate considerably lower than out-of-state rates.

As a public, state-funded system, the University of California serves California residents first, as mandated by policy. In addition, its link to the Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) program—set to identify top-performing California residents and guarantee admission to one of the campuses—contributes to the ongoing increase in student interest. With applications exploding at flagship campuses such as UCLA and UC Berkeley, the overflow of California applicants typically ends up at campuses with more space, such as UC Merced, and UC Riverside. As a result, this is driving up the volume and the competition at campuses like UC Davis.

Is it easier to get into UC Davis as an out-of-state student?

At first glance, yes. UC Davis’s out-of-state acceptance rate is 58.8%, considerably higher than the 37.1% California rate. However, the difference speaks more to student candidacy than it does to admissions generosity. With no ELC guarantee and higher expected tuition fees, out-of-state students tend to be stronger, more strategic applicants. In other words, the pool is much smaller, but more competitive.

What is UC Davis’s transfer acceptance rate?

Transfer students have a clearer pathway to UC Davis. UC Davis's transfer acceptance rate for in-state students is 56.5% and 55% for out-of-state transfers. Despite the out-of-state transfer rate increasing 5.1% from the previous 2024 cycle, the in-state rate dropped by 3%, a result of the increased competition within the California pipeline.

What does a strong UC Davis application look like?

Admitted students at UC Davis typically hold grade-point averages (GPA) between 4.00 and 4.26 (weighted). Students maintaining a GPA within that range demonstrate a strong candidacy for the campus, but are not guaranteed admission. The differentiating factors are found in other aspects of the student's college application. UC Davis’s holistic review process weighs:

• Responses to personal insight questions (PIQs). The UC’s unique blend of college essays and short-answer questions is required for all applicants
• Course rigor and A-G requirements
• Extracurricular leadership and academic achievements
• Local context: a student’s residency and school source are all taken into consideration

Frequently asked questions

UC Davis, though competitive, is achievable for well-prepared students. Ensuring a well-crafted college application is key to maintaining a strong candidacy among the growing competition.

Collegewise has proudly supported 3,500+ students through the University of California admissions process, offering end-to-end college application support, essay coaching, extracurricular mentoring, and deadline management. Our counselors include former UC admissions officers and experts who understand exactly what UC Davis looks for. Schedule a free consultation today.