Summary:
Acceptance rate figures reflect the 2024-2025 application cycle, the most recent complete dataset; 2025-2026 admit data has not been released yet. UC Davis’s overall acceptance rate is 44.3% for the 2025 admissions cycle, based on 102,988 applications. In-state students face a more competitive acceptance rate of 37.1%, while out-of-state students see a 58.8% rate. Transfer students fare well with an acceptance rate ranging from 55% to 56%, depending on residency. With a mid-to-low acceptance rate, UC Davis is considered a moderately selective college.
|
Overall 44.3% |
In-State 37.1% |
Out-of-State 58.8% |
Transfer 55-56% |
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.
|
Applications Received |
Students Admitted |
Acceptance Rate |
|
|
2026 |
104,850 |
TBA |
TBA |
|
2025 |
102,988 |
45,673 |
44.3% |
|
2024 |
98,864 |
41,353 |
41.8% |
|
2023 |
94,634 |
39,400 |
41.6% |
|
Table 1: UC Davis overall acceptance rate by year, 2023–2026. Source: UC Davis Information Center. |
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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.
|
In-State Applications Received |
In-State Students Admitted |
In-State Acceptance Rate |
|
|
2026 |
70,354 |
TBA |
TBA |
|
2025 |
68,959 |
25,641 |
37.1% |
|
2024 |
67,963 |
24,878 |
36.6% |
|
2023 |
65,156 |
23,657 |
35.3% |
|
Table 2: UC Davis in-state acceptance rate by year, 2023–2026. Source: UC Davis Information Center. |
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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.
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.
|
Out-of-State Applications Received |
Out-of-State Students Admitted |
Out-of-State Acceptance Rate |
|
|
2026 |
32,496 |
TBA |
TBA |
|
2025 |
34,029 |
20,032 |
58.8% |
|
2024 |
30,901 |
16,475 |
53.3% |
|
2023 |
29,482 |
15,743 |
53.3% |
|
Table 3: UC Davis out-of-state acceptance rate by year, 2023–2026. Source: UC Davis Information Center. |
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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.
|
In-State Transfers 2025 |
Out-of-State Transfers 2025 |
|
|
Applications Received |
14,729 |
2,449 |
|
Students Admitted |
8,335 |
1,348 |
|
Acceptance Rate |
56.5% |
55% |
|
Table 4: UC Davis in-state and out-of-state transfer acceptance rate, 2025. Source: UC Davis Information Center. |
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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:
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.