UC Davis & UC Irvine — Research Notes
Source: ucdavis_uci.md
UC Davis & UC Irvine — Research Notes
University of California, Davis
Overview
- Location: Davis, CA (Sacramento metro area)
- Type: Public research university, UC system
- Category: flagship_public
- Total enrollment: 41,239 (fall 2024, record)
- Undergraduates: ~32,273
Admissions (Fall 2024 / Class of 2028)
- Total applicants: 98,861 (4.5% increase YoY)
- Admits: 41,618
- Acceptance rate: 42.1%
- Enrolled freshmen: 6,767
- Yield rate: 16.4%
- Testing policy: Test-blind (UC system-wide since fall 2023)
- No ED/EA: UC system uses a single November application deadline
Academic Profile
- Weighted GPA middle 50: 4.00–4.26
- Unweighted GPA (est): ~3.82
- SAT middle 50: 1160–1400 (reported but not used in admissions)
- ACT middle 50: 25–32
Demographics (2024–25)
| Group |
Pct |
| Asian |
29% |
| Hispanic/Latino |
25% |
| White |
22% |
| International |
15% |
| Multiracial |
6% |
| Black |
2% |
| Women |
57% |
UC Davis became HSI-eligible in fall 2024 (25.1% Hispanic FTE).
Financial Aid / Net Price by Income
| Family Income |
Net Price |
| $0–$30,000 |
$9,842 |
| $30,001–$48,000 |
$10,769 |
| $48,001–$75,000 |
$13,578 |
| $75,001–$110,000 |
$17,622 |
| Over $110,000 |
$29,734 |
Source: College Factual / College Scorecard data.
Athletics
- NCAA Division I, Big West Conference (most sports)
- 25 varsity sports
- 717 total athletes (272 men, 445 women)
- Athlete pct: ~1.7% of total enrollment
Sources
- UC Admissions freshman profile
- College Factual net price data
- College Kickstart UC fall 2024 trends
- UC Davis news: record enrollment fall 2024
University of California, Irvine
Overview
- Location: Irvine, CA (Orange County)
- Type: Public research university, UC system
- Category: flagship_public
- Total enrollment: 37,297 (fall 2024)
- Undergraduates: 30,204
Admissions (Fall 2024 / Class of 2028)
- Total applicants: 121,095 freshman + 21,995 transfer (146K+ total)
- Admits: 35,661 (freshman)
- Acceptance rate: 28.7%
- Enrolled freshmen: 6,796
- Yield rate: 19.1%
- Waitlist: 13,155 offered; 6,259 accepted; all 6,259 admitted (100% WL accept rate)
- Testing policy: Test-blind (UC system-wide)
- No ED/EA: UC system single deadline
Academic Profile
- Weighted GPA middle 50: 4.04–4.27
- Unweighted GPA (est): ~3.84
- SAT middle 50: 1230–1430 (reported but not used)
- ACT middle 50: 26–33
Demographics (2024–25)
| Group |
Pct |
| Asian |
35% |
| Hispanic/Latino |
24% |
| White |
15% |
| International |
16% |
| Multiracial |
6% |
| Black |
2% |
| Women |
55% |
UCI has a predominantly Asian student body — the highest Asian percentage of any UC campus.
Financial Aid / Net Price by Income
| Family Income |
Net Price |
| $0–$30,000 |
$23,532 |
| $30,001–$48,000 |
$21,767 |
| $48,001–$75,000 |
$25,220 |
| $75,001–$110,000 |
$28,615 |
| Over $110,000 |
$33,909 |
Source: College Factual / College Scorecard data. Note: UCI net costs are notably higher than UC Davis across all income brackets.
Athletics
- NCAA Division I, Big West Conference
- 18 varsity sports
- 429 total athletes (186 men, 243 women)
- Athlete pct: ~1.4% of total enrollment
Sources
- UC Admissions freshman profile
- UCI Office of Undergraduate Admissions admitted student profile
- College Factual demographics and net price
- UC Irvine News: record CA admits 2024
Comparison Notes
| Metric |
UC Davis |
UC Irvine |
| Acceptance rate |
42.1% |
28.7% |
| Total applicants |
98,861 |
121,095 |
| Enrolled freshmen |
6,767 |
6,796 |
| Yield rate |
16% |
19% |
| SAT middle 50 |
1160–1400 |
1230–1430 |
| Weighted GPA |
4.00–4.26 |
4.04–4.27 |
| Asian % |
29% |
35% |
| Hispanic % |
25% |
24% |
| Net cost (lowest income) |
$9,842 |
$23,532 |
Key differences:
- UCI is meaningfully more selective (28.7% vs 42.1%)
- UCI has higher SAT scores (30-point higher floor and ceiling)
- UC Davis is dramatically more affordable for low-income students ($9.8K vs $23.5K)
- Both are test-blind with no early action/decision rounds
- Similar freshman class sizes (~6,800 each)