The University of California System consists of ten public universities, and we will be looking at one of its campuses, UC Davis and its acceptance rate by major for transfer students.
Generally, most public colleges and universities in the U.S. have admission rates that admit more than 50% of applicants. However, some public colleges are highly selective during admission, especially UC schools.
UCLA and UC Berkeley are ranked top on the list of America’s highly selective public schools. Transferring to a UC school can be challenging, especially if you are applying to highly competitive majors.
Stay with us as we discuss UC Davis’s acceptance rate for transfer students and tips that will help during the admission process.
UC Davis Overview
The University of California, Davis or UC Davis as it’s popularly called is part of the University of California system established in 1905. The public land-grant research university became part of the UC system in 1959.
Currently, UC Davis is ranked #38 among National Universities according to the recent rankings of U.S. News & World Report. The university’s main campus near Davis, California spans 5,300 acres.
UC Davis just like other UC schools has a large student enrolment. In the fall of 2021, undergraduate enrolment was over 31,600 and postgraduate students were more than 8,000.
Undergraduate schools at UC Davis include the College of Biological Sciences, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Letters and Science.
Graduate divisions include the Graduate School of Management, Law, Education, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, and Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.
Also Read: UC Santa Barbara Acceptance Rate by Major 2024
UC Davis Acceptance Rate
On average, every UC school receives more than 60,000 applications from high schoolers and graduate students. The numbers have increased over the years with more international students applying to the UC schools.
The University of California, Davis in the last four years has received an average of over 80,000 applications. In 2019, a total of 78,092 undergraduate applications were received at UC Davis and those accepted were more than 30,000 students.
UC Davis’s acceptance rate in that particular academic year was 39%. However, UC Davis’s admission rate reduced by 2% after the recent admission process at the university.
In the fall of 2022, a total of 94,579 undergraduate applications were received at admissions. Out of that number, those who received an admission letter from the university were 35,563.
The acceptance rate at the University of California, Davis had reduced by almost 2% from what it was in 2019. With an acceptance rate of 37.5%, UC Davis’s admit rate appears to be declining.
Over the years more people have applied to the university and the number of those accepted each year is reducing.
UC Davis Acceptance Rate for Transfer Students
The University of California, Davis accepts transfer students from two-year or four-year colleges. Most of the transfer students seeking admission at Davis hail from community colleges across California.
So, what are the numbers that usually apply to UC Davis for transfer admission?
During admission, thousands of students seek transfer admission into Davis to complete their degree. In the fall of 2021, about 18,765 transfer students applied to UC Davis.
The university only accepted 9,454 transfer students to its campus. The admission rate for transfer students in that academic year was 50.4% which is higher compared to the undergraduate admit rate of 39%.
A year later, the number of transfer students applying to UC Davis decreased as only 15,539 transfer applications were received in the fall of 2022.
UC Davis admitted 9,098 transfer5 students which raised the transfer admit rate (50%) from the previous academic year to 59%.
UC Davis Admission Requirements for Transfer Students
If you are seeking transfer admission to the University of California, Davis, the following are required materials you need to provide;
- A University of California Application
- Official transcripts from colleges attended
- Final high school transcripts
- Supplementary material (required for some majors)
- Have a minimum of 60 UC-transferable semesters (equivalent to 90 UC-transferable quarter units)
- Complete transfer general education requirements
Also Read: UC Davis Acceptance Rate, Admission, SAT/ACT, Tuition, Ranking
UC Davis Acceptance Rate by Major for Transfer Admission
The following are some of the popular majors at UC Davis and their transfer admit rates.
| Majors | Acceptance rate |
| Sociology | 69% |
| Communication | 64% |
| Economics | 59% |
| Biology | 43% |
| Psychology | 37% |
| Computer science | 28% |
Tips to Applying to UC Davis on Transfer Admission
As a transfer student who wants to get into UC Davis, here are a few important tips for you.
Academic Coursework
An applicant’s academic record is the primary consideration for transfer admission at UC Davis. The University of California, Davis strongly recommends that you report all your college preparatory coursework.
UC Davis also recommends that you include courses that you have enrolled in irrespective of grades, withdrawal, or transferability.
You should include all institutions attended and coursework taken just as they appear on your college transcripts. Failure to do so may hinder your chances of admission at UC Davis.
Letter of Recommendations and Other Admission Documents
Do not include any letter of recommendation, transcripts, copies of awards, or samples of your academic work with your application.
How UC Davis Reviews Your Transfer Application
Every UC school has its unique process of reviewing applications submitted by transfer applicants. Each UC school select the best candidate for transfer admission after a thorough review of each application.
At UC Davis, the admission officers consider academic records as one of the most important requirements. They expect each transfer applicant to present excellent academic records that exceed the standards for transfer admission.
Generally, all transfer applicants must satisfy the University of California admission requirement and UC Davis transfer admission requirements also.
There are also some requirements for selective majors which must be satisfied to guarantee your spot at UC Davis.
If you are a transfer applicant who is interested in a UC Davis Transfer Admission Guarantee, you may need to present a higher cumulative transfer GPA to meet certain requirements.
Getting into UC Davis selective majors as a transfer applicant is quite difficult. To compete with other applicants for these selective majors, you need a higher GPA.
Also Read: UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate By Major 2024
UC Davis GPA Requirements for Transfer Admission
The University of California, Davis requires an average GPA of 2.4 for in-state students to be eligible to apply for transfer admission. Out-of-state students who want to transfer to Davis will have to present an average GPA of 2.8 or higher.
These are the required GPAs to apply to UC Davis as a transfer student. If you want to gain entry into the university’s transfer selective majors, you need a higher GPA than 2.4 or 2.8.
Tuition and Fees at UC Davis
Currently, tuition for California residents at UC Davis is $14,740 and $44,484 for non-residents. This is the cost for in-state and out-of-state students at UC Davis according to U.S. News & World Report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are frequently asked questions about the acceptance rate at UC Davis for transfer admission.
What are UC Davis’s most popular majors?
Some of the popular majors at UC Davis include management sciences and information systems, neuroscience and neurobiology, biology, animal sciences and husbandry, research and experimental psychology, and human development.
What is the lowest GPA for UC Davis?
The University of California, Davis requires an average GPA of 2.4 for in-state students to be eligible to apply for transfer admission. Out-of-state students who want to transfer to Davis will have to present an average GPA of 2.8 or higher.
Also Read: UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate, Admissions, Tuition, SAT, ACT, Rankings 
What is the easiest UC school to get into?
The easiest University of California Schools to get into are UC Riverside: admit rate of 68.1%, UC Merced: admit rate of 90.4%, and UC Santa Cruz: admit rate of 47.1%.
What is the most selective major at UC Davis?
With an acceptance rate of 28%, Computer Science is the most competitive major to get into at UC Davis.
Conclusion
The University of California, Davis is an excellent research institution with a large student enrolment. More students are applying to the public university during admission and the admit rate of the university has declined in recent times.
Transfer admission to UC Davis is competitive, especially if you are applying to selective majors. With the information we have provided so far, you know what to expect at UC Davis as a transfer applicant.
