Student-Faculty Ratio
16:1
Full-Time Student Population
30,311
Part-Time Student Population
784
Full-Time Instructional Faculty
1,416
Part-Time Instructional Faculty
240
Faculty with Terminal Degree
98%
Average Faculty Salary
$107,117
Full-Time Retention Rate
93%
Part-Time Retention Rate
80%
Programs/Majors Offered
145
Academic/Career Counseling?
Yes
Class Sizes
- Fewer than 20 students: 33%
- 20 to 49 students: 43%
- 50 or more students: 24%
Instructional Programs
Occupational:
NoAcademic:
YesContinuing Professional:
NoRecreational/Avocational:
NoAdult Basic Remedial:
NoSecondary (High School):
NoSpecial Credit Opportunities
Advanced Placement (AP) Credits:
YesDual Credit:
YesLife Experience Credits:
NoUndergraduate Schools/Divisions
- College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
- College of Biological Sciences
- College of Engineering
- College of Letters and Science
Degrees Awarded
- Bachelor's degree
- Doctorate - Professional practice
- Doctorate - Research/scholarship
- Master's degree
- Post-bachelor's certificate
- Post-master's certificate
Most Popular Majors
- Biology and Biological Sciences: 2%
- Communication Studies: 2%
- Economics and Econometrics: 2%
- Psychology: 4%
Graduation Requirements
- Arts/fine arts
- English (including composition)
- Humanities
- One course in social-cultural diversity
- Sciences (biological or physical)
- Social science
Special Study Options
- Distance learning opportunities
- Study abroad
- Teacher certification (below the postsecondary level)
Other Academic Offerings
- Accelerated program
- Cross-registration
- Double major
- Dual enrollment
- English as a Second Language (ESL)
- Honors program
- Independent study
- Internships
- Student-designed major
- Washington DC Center
Online Courses
UC Davis offers a variety of online courses. The online courses provide all of the material necessary to succeed and understand the class; however, it is up to the student to determine how well he or she will do. The classes require students to develop their time management skills, and students must take the initiative to really learn the material on their own. Resources and instructors are available for additional help, but it is an independent route to take in the academic sphere. Online classes are also available from other institutions, which can be transferred to UC Davis because the online course options that are offered at Davis are limited.
Best Places to Study
- Arboretum
- The CoHo is located directly across from the Memorial Union. It includes a variety of food that ranges from salads to sushi. Its central location as well as the many tables and booths make it an ideal place to study.
- Peter J. Shields Library
- The quad
- Silo Union, or better known as "The Silo," is a lounge, study area, and eatery that is located in the southern part of campus. The dining offerings include a Carl's Jr., Taco Bell Express, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, crepes, and other on-the-go snacks.
- Student Community Center; central location and is complete with computer labs, conference and meeting rooms, study lounges, a café, and more.
Tips to Succeed
- Actually go to class.
- Ask questions.
- Do not be intimidated by upper-division classes.
- Enjoy the ride! You are only an undergrad once—live it up and take advantage of the many sources that Davis has to offer.
- Get involved with extracurriculars, clubs, and other student groups that are offered.
- Get some fresh air after studying all day.
- Go to discussions, even if they are optional.
- Go to office hours.
- Start studying early, not just the night before midterms and finals. The quarter system goes by quickly, so you must stay on top of your classes in order to succeed.
- Take a light load your first quarter.
- Take advantage of the wide variety of interesting classes that are unique to UC Davis, such as the tractor driving class and the astronomy lab, the latter of which is an interactive class that lets students use telescopes to observe the constellations at night.
- Take classes that interest you.
Did You Know?
- A particle accelerator developed by Tom Cahill, a UC Davis professor of atmospheric science, is being used to track air quality at more than 50 national parks, monuments, and wilderness areas. The technology has already helped reduce smog in the Grand Canyon and has been applied in California to measure air quality problems and find solutions to smog in the Lake Tahoe Basin and the Central Valley.
- Statistician David Rocke, professor in the Graduate School of Management and the School of Medicine's department of epidemiology and preventive medicine, is helping the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to improve the accuracy of very low-level measurements of water pollutants and to develop computer software to conduct the measurements. The project, funded by the EPA, has created a breakthrough model adopted nationally as a voluntary standard for examining water and wastewater.
- The U.S. Department of Energy developed the Graduate Automotive Technology Education program (GATE) to focus on research, education, industrial collaboration, and outreach within automotive technology.
- UC Davis has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for its programs in veterinary medicine, plant biology, and genetics by the Gourman Report.
- UC Davis is on the leading edge of stem cell research. The Sacramento campus is home to the $62 million UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures.
- UC Davis offers more than 100 academic majors and 90 graduate programs. It is the only UC campus with schools of law, medicine, education, management, and veterinary medicine.
- With nearly 100 faculty members engaged in research and academic programs, UC Davis is a leader in energy research. The faculty is looking at renewable energy, alternative vehicle fuels (biogas, hydrogen, electricity), and lighting technology.