TL;DR: UC Davis admitted 45.8% of first-year applicants for fall 2026 (48,015 offers), and by an Oriel Admissions calculation from UC Office of the President tables it admitted 71.0% of domestic out-of-state applicants, more than double the 34.7% rate for California residents. That 36.2-point gap was the widest in the UC system. Admitted students had a High School GPA (UC’s A-G GPA from 10th and 11th grade, with honors credit) of 4.00 to 4.25 in the middle range. In the view of Oriel Admissions, UC Davis combines strength in biology, pre-health, agriculture and veterinary medicine with odds high enough to anchor the likely band of an out-of-state UC list. UC estimates $90,100 for a new nonresident living on campus in 2027-28, and the fall 2027 application is filed between October 1 and November 30, 2026. To discuss your family’s admissions strategy, schedule a consultation.
What Is the UC Davis Acceptance Rate?
The UC Davis acceptance rate for fall 2026 is 45.8%: 48,015 offers of admission from 104,850 first-year applicants in UC’s January application table (104,864 on UC’s Davis admit data page) in the preliminary count the University of California published in July 2026 (UC Office of the President, fall 2026 admissions fact sheet). That compares with 44.6% for fall 2025 and 42.1% for fall 2024, so the three-year picture is a campus that has grown less selective with more applicants (6,016 more than fall 2024) and more admits (6,397 more). The residency split is the number that matters for a family reading this page: by an Oriel Admissions calculation, California residents were admitted at 34.7%, domestic out-of-state applicants at 71.0%, and international applicants at 66.6%.
| Cycle | Applicants | Admits | Overall rate | California residents | Domestic out-of-state | International |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | 104,850 | 48,015 | 45.8% | 34.7% | 71.0% | 66.6% |
| Fall 2025 | 102,958 | 45,963 | 44.6% | 37.3% | 63.4% | 57.1% |
| Fall 2024 | 98,834 | 41,618 | 42.1% | 36.7% | 57.7% | 51.5% |
UC Davis first-year admissions, fall 2024 to fall 2026, computed from the UC Office of the President preliminary application tables (fall 2026 applicants as of January 21, 2026) and admit tables (fall 2026 admits as of June 17, 2026). Rates are admits divided by applicants within each residency group.
Two things stand out across the three cycles. Out-of-state applicants have been admitted at a higher rate than California residents in every year shown (57.7% against 36.7% in fall 2024, 71.0% against 34.7% in fall 2026), which is the reverse of the pattern at most selective private universities and the reason the rest of this page is written for out-of-state families. And the international rate has moved from 51.5% to 66.6% over the same period, so the campus has been opening its international admission. Sources for each year: fall 2024 applications, fall 2024 admits, fall 2025 applications, fall 2025 admits, and the fall 2026 fact sheet. Our guide to UC acceptance rates by campus puts these numbers next to the other eight campuses.
What Is the UC Davis Acceptance Rate for Out-of-State Students?
For fall 2026, the UC Davis acceptance rate for domestic out-of-state applicants was 71.0%, computed from preliminary University of California systemwide data reflecting offers as of June 17, 2026. California residents were admitted at 34.7% and international applicants at 66.6%, against an overall rate of 45.8%. The 36.2-point gap between the out-of-state and in-state rate was the largest of any UC campus for fall 2026, ahead of UC Santa Barbara (29.3 points) and UC Irvine (26.8 points).
| Applicant Group | Applications | Admits | Admit Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| California residents | 70,354 | 24,445 | 34.7% |
| Domestic out-of-state | 13,472 | 9,561 | 71.0% |
| International | 21,024 | 14,009 | 66.6% |
| All first-year applicants | 104,850 | 48,015 | 45.8% |
Source: rates computed from the UC Office of the President fall 2026 preliminary application table (as of January 21, 2026) and admissions fact sheet (offers as of June 17, 2026). Figures may shift as waitlist offers are finalized.
Nonresidents made up 49% of all fall 2026 admits at UC Davis (9,561 domestic out-of-state and 14,009 international of 48,015), the heaviest nonresident admit share among the selective campuses by the same calculation. The economics behind the pattern, including Nonresident Supplemental Tuition of $39,270 for 2026-27, are covered in our guide to UC admissions for out-of-state students. The practical consequence for planning, in our experience: a nonresident student with a solid A-G record who files a competent application has a strong chance of holding a UC Davis offer in March.
What Academic Profile Does UC Davis Expect?
Admitted first-years for fall 2026 had a middle-range High School GPA of 4.00 to 4.25 on UC’s Davis admit data page. UC defines that GPA as the A-G grade point average from 10th and 11th grade, including up to eight semesters of honors courses; our UC GPA calculator converts a standard transcript. UC does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission, does not require or read letters of recommendation at application, and UC Davis holds no interviews, so grades, rigor, activities and the four personal insight questions decide the outcome. At a 71.0% out-of-state admit rate, UC Davis is, in our view, less a lottery to optimize than an offer to plan around for applicants in the GPA band.
Where Is UC Davis Strongest, and How Should the Major Be Chosen?
UC Davis is best known for the life sciences, agriculture and veterinary medicine, and in our experience that is where ambitious students find the most leverage: biology, animal science, environmental science and the pre-health pathways. UC listed the most selective majors at UC Davis for fall 2027 applicants as Mechanical Engineering, Design, Psychology, Business, Pre-Landscape Architecture and Animal Science, and advised strong math and STEM preparation; students set on one of those, or on engineering or computer science, should list it as the first-choice major rather than plan an internal switch. For pre-med and pre-vet families comparing options, UC Davis pairs naturally with our guides to the best colleges for pre-med and UC San Diego out-of-state admissions.
What Does UC Davis Cost an Out-of-State Family?
UC estimates a 2027-28 cost of $90,100 for a new nonresident undergraduate living on campus, including $57,300 in UC tuition with Nonresident Supplemental Tuition; UC tuition for California residents is $16,278. UC tuition stays flat for up to six years under the Tuition Stability Plan, UC says virtually all nonresident undergraduates with nonresident parents remain nonresidents for their entire undergraduate career, and its cost page describes no separate aid program for nonresidents. At full price, Oriel Admissions treats the value question as a comparison exercise: a family choosing between UC Davis and a private university at a similar sticker price should weigh research access, professional-school placement and the strength of the specific department.
What Should Out-of-State Applicants Do With These Odds?
Use UC Davis as the anchor. For fall 2027, the single UC application opened August 1, 2026 and is filed between October 1 and November 30, 2026, and adding UC Davis to a list built around UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego costs one additional campus fee while converting the whole UC strategy from speculative to structured: reaches at the top, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara in the middle, UC Davis as the near-lock. Because there is no Early Decision anywhere in the system, the UC file coexists cleanly with a binding Early Decision application at a private university, and nothing binds the family until the May 1 Statement of Intent to Register. The four personal insight questions should still be written to the standard of the most selective campus on the list, because every campus reads the same words.
Frequently Asked Questions About the UC Davis Acceptance Rate
Much easier. For fall 2026, UC Davis admitted 71.0% of domestic out-of-state applicants against 34.7% of California residents, a 36.2-point gap that was the widest in the UC system, by an Oriel Admissions calculation from UC Office of the President tables.
It depends on the department and the goal. UC estimates $90,100 for a new nonresident living on campus in 2027-28. In our experience the case is strongest for students headed into the life sciences, agriculture, pre-health or veterinary paths, and the specific department should decide close comparisons.
Admitted students for fall 2026 had a middle-range High School GPA of 4.00 to 4.25, which UC calculates from 10th and 11th grade A-G courses with up to eight semesters of honors credit.
No. UC does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission, does not require or read letters of recommendation at the time of application, and UC Davis holds no interviews.
For fall 2027 applicants, UC listed Mechanical Engineering, Design, Psychology, Business, Pre-Landscape Architecture and Animal Science as the most selective majors at UC Davis. List the intended major first rather than planning to switch in later.
No. For fall 2027 the UC application is filed between October 1 and November 30, 2026, decisions arrive in March, and the Statement of Intent to Register is due May 1.
Rarely. UC says obtaining residency is extremely difficult for undergraduates with nonresident parents and that virtually all of them remain nonresidents for their entire undergraduate career.
At the base. A common structure runs UC Berkeley and UCLA as reaches, UC San Diego as the pivot, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara as targets, and UC Davis as the likely, all on one application.
Sources: UC Admissions, Davis first-year admit data; UC Office of the President, fall 2026 admissions fact sheet; UC Office of the President, fall 2026 application table; UC Counselor Conference, UCOP and campus updates (September 2026); UC Admissions, dates and deadlines; UC tuition and cost of attendance; Legislative Analyst’s Office, nonresident tuition rates at UC (May 2026).
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our team brings deep expertise across every dimension of the application, and our distinctive 360 approach develops strategy, positioning, activities, essays, and interviews as one coherent whole. To discuss your family’s admissions strategy, schedule a consultation.
