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Davis station facing west, November 2017Photo: Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Davis

Davis is a college town: 34 of every 100 residents are students

The University of California-Davis (39,356 students on campus) is inside the city. Across California, 8 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town34% of residents are studentsUniversity of California-Davis

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Davis. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
4
50,160 students on campus
Nearest college
1.3 mi
University of California-Davis
Residents in college
34%
Above CA (8%)
Nearest community college
7.2 mi
Woodland · $1,124 tuition
Nearest public university
1.3 mi
University of California-Davis · $16,774 in-state
Students on campus in Davis
39,356
next to 66,110 residents

What stands out about college in Davis

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town34 of every 100 Davis residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.A university in DavisThe University of California-Davis has 39,356 students on campus in Davis, 86% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at University of California-DavisLiving in California, the University of California-Davis charges $16,774 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $50,974. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 7.2 miles awayWoodland Community College in Woodland: tuition and fees $1,124 a year for California residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Davis

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

34 of every 100 Davis residents are in college (CA: 8).

39,356students on campus at University of California-Davis, next to 66,110 residents (dorm students count as residents)
21,365college students live in Davis households rather than dorms
26.4median age · CA 37.9
52%of residents are women · CA 50% (±1.1 points)
56%of homes rented · CA 44%
$2,187median rent · 7% above the state
DavisDavis, CA
Cost of living$2,187/mo median rentD−SafetyCrime reported to the FBICHealthCDC estimatesAJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundAHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Davis’ other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income A

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 26.8% of Davis residents are below the poverty line, 8.8% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 4 points either way). 63% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living D−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (34% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Davis’ median age is 26.4 (California 37.9), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Davis

One private college within 12.8 miles, one public college within 1.3 miles, and two community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of California-DavisWoodlandDavis
University or collegeCommunity college
University of California-DavisUniversity or college · Public · 39,356 on campus · In Davis42%admitted$15knet price86%graduate$81kearningsWoodland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 1,696 on campus · 7.2 mi · Woodland · mostly online$8knet price43%graduate$40kearnings54% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Tuition and fees: $1,124 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Universal Technical Institute of Northern California IncUniversity or college · For-profit · 1,107 on campus · 12.8 mi · Sacramento$29knet price64%graduate$48kearningsEarnings are reported for all 3 campuses that file with it.Sacramento City CollegeCommunity college · Public · 8,001 on campus · 13.4 mi · Sacramento · mostly online$7knet price33%graduate$42kearnings58% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Tuition and fees: $1,288 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Davis’ median household income ($90,045) falls.

Woodland Community College7.2 mi · Woodland · mostly online · sticker $13,975 · tuition $1,124$9,593a year
Sacramento City College13.4 mi · Sacramento · mostly online · sticker $15,767 · tuition $1,288$11,609a year
University of California-DavisIn Davis · sticker $41,238$16,294a year
Universal Technical Institute of Northern California Inc12.8 mi · Sacramento · sticker $34,337$32,937a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Davis: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →University of California-DavisWoodlandUniversal Technical Institute of Northern California IncSacramento City College
University of California-Davis86% graduate$81k earnings$13k typical debt
Sacramento City College33% graduate$42k earnings$10k typical debt
Woodland Community College43% graduate$40k earnings
Universal Technical Institute of Northern California Inc64% graduate$48k earnings*$13k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Universal Technical Institute of Northern California Inc (3).

Majors

What students study in Davis

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at University of California-Davis, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Biology 18%Social sciences 13%Psychology 10%Engineering 9%Business 6%Agriculture 6%Everything else 39%

Biggest programs

Research and Experimental Psychology958 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods502 graduates a year
$86k4 yrs out
Biology, General430 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Economics417 graduates a year
$83k4 yrs out
Neurobiology and Neurosciences394 graduates a year
$64k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government336 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Animal Sciences304 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies288 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Davis

Is Davis a college town?

Yes. 34 of every 100 Davis residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 8 across California. The University of California-Davis has 39,356 students on campus, next to 66,110 residents.

What colleges are in Davis?

The University of California-Davis is inside the city. Woodland Community College is 7.2 miles away in Woodland.

Why is Davis’ poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 26.8% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 8.8% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 4 points).

What is the closest community college to Davis, and what does it cost?

Woodland Community College in Woodland, 7.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $1,124 a year for California residents; the federal net price, $8,356, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into the University of California-Davis?

The University of California-Davis admitted 42% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Davis. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →