University of California, Davis

Overview

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is a public research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California. Holding land-grant status, UC Davis is one of the ten campuses that make up the University of California system and is considered to be one of the country’s best public universities, thus, it’s also referred to as a “Public Ivy.”

UC Davis offers bachelor’s, master’s, and professional programs that cater to the varied interests and learning goals of students. There are more than 100 majors housed under four colleges, namely, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Biological Sciences, and College of Letters and Science. Examples of majors include Agricultural and Environmental Education, Aerospace Science and Engineering, Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, and even a major in Viticulture and Enology (the study of grape growing and winemaking).

Students who want to pursue graduate studies also have a wide range of options in UC Davis’ graduate programs. Among its top-ranking programs as assessed by the US National Research Council are programs in ecology, entomology, agricultural economics, evolutionary biology, and plant biology.

Aside from agriculture and science programs, students looking to further advance their knowledge in the arts can also choose from programs like Master’s in Music, Dramatic Art, Creative Writing, Design, and Art. Graduate studies at UC Davis focus on helping students develop their independent and creative thinking skills through “discovery, creative application, and teaching new knowledge.”

Professional programs such as nursing, medicine, and veterinary medicine are also offered at UC Davis. It also has an extensive study abroad program categorized into summer programs, quarter, and global internships, just to name a few.

UC Davis was foremost an agriculture campus when it was founded in 1905. It was called the University Farm, which was used as the University of California, Berkeley’s extension for research and science lectures. UC Davis first offered farmer’s short courses in 1908 and eventually offered three-year, non-degree vocational programs.

By 1922, four-year degree programs were already available at UC Davis. Several other colleges and academic departments were established in UC Davis until it was officially designated as a general University of California campus in 1959.

UC Davis’ notable alumni include Anna Escobedo Cabral, US Treasurer; Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye, chief justice of California; and John S. Watson, CEO of Chevron. The university’s faculty also has members from renowned associations such as the American Law Institute, National Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine.

You can also learn more about the educational performance of University of California, Davis in our ranking of US universities & colleges.