University of California-Davis Reviews

"UC Davis is a beautiful, fun filled campus with just the right mixture of different programs and student groups. It has a relaxed atmosphere combined with challenging courses and an extremely competitive grading scale in the impacted programs. It feeds directly to its law school, veterinary school, medical school and other graduate programs and does adequately prepare students for further work in an academic arena. The student services are available but hard to access and busy so students must be good self advocates at this institution."

"The University of California, Davis provided me with applicable knowledge on a multitude of platforms. First, I was able to immediately begin research to discover what kind of science I take value in. From that point, by the end of my academic career I was in a very good position to know exactly what my future career pursuits actually meant. Going into industry is far different from pursuing a higher degree, and both are completely outside of teaching. Though different, all career paths were available to be explored in my education at UC Davis. Another fantastic aspect of my undergraduate degree at the University of California, Davis was the access to interacting with some of the leading minds in various scientific fields. While in my undergrad I was able to dialog with the leading minds in Evolutionary Biology, Feline Genetics, Population Genetics and Nutritional Genomics. Brilliantly enough I was also able to learn the best science I know from interning and working in their labs. Through these experiences at UC Davis I was able to understand that the world, both academic and personal, truly is one's oyster."

"I enjoyed my experience immensely. The education and connections were top notch. I would do it all over again."

"Great small town atmosphere, large class sizes, and tight knit community. Students have many learning opportunities."

"I had a wonderful time at Davis. My classes challenged me and the environment fostered friendships that will last for years to come."

"UCD is a good school. The professors were knowledgeable and gave individual care and attention to students. Good times."

"My experience at my college was a perfect blend of enrichment, empowerment, and empowerment. I met some of the most influential people in my life. I learned a lot about myself and my desired life path through the help of these people. The environment of my college enhanced the positively adventurous time I enjoyed during my entire stay."

"UC Davis was an excellent school. I loved my experience at the campus, I found classes that were connected to not only what, but how I wanted to learn. I have kept in touch with many friends and even several professors from my graduation which was over a decade ago. Choosing Davis was the best decision I've made."

"UC Davis was the best 4 years of my life. I grew so much as a student and person while being away from home. I would encourage anyone to go to UC Davis for the college town feel and terrific education."

"UC Davis has a wonderful biomedical engineering program. There are helpful resources everywhere and the people are wonderful. The only con is the size of the community. Davis is a relatively small town, and spending years there seems a bit boring. It is in close proximity to other areas, but realistically there is not a lot of time to get out to those areas very frequently. But the program itself is great. It is very focused on tissue engineering and biomechanics, but there are absolutely other labs available that do not focus on either of those topics."

"The biggest advantage is the low student to teacher ratio. Courses aren't packed with students which enables more productive student-teacher interactions. As a university town the area is safe and easily accessible by bike and/or bus. The research facilities aren't half as good as the one at other top UC campuses. Lack of sufficient financial aid for non-residents is a major drawback."

"UC Davis Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program offers a wide variety of courses covering anything from tissue mechanics to neural sciences. There is plenty of collaboration amongst students and professors. Not to mention, comprehension checking from professors on students surpasses that of any other program I have experienced in my educational career thus far."

"I found the first year of graduate courses to be thoroughly mediocre. The professors in general do not consider teaching to be a top priority, and it definitely shows in the quality of the courses. That said, I have learned a lot, especially from the courses taken in second year and beyond. Once you get past the first year, Davis is a lot better. There are some wonderful faculty who are really willing to invest in the graduate students in their groups, and there's definitely a lot to learn. Davis is also a fun town, within spitting distance of Sacramento and close to both San Francisco and Tahoe. Public transportation in Davis is great, although usually people cycle. Overall, I'm really glad I came to Davis; I've met a lot of wonderful people and learned heaping amounts about physics and about myself as a person. But if you are looking to come to a school for the teaching, or would like a lot of early support in your graduate career, Davis is probably not the place for you."

"The Graduate Group in Ecology is a large, interdisciplinary program that provides great academic courses and enough flexibility to pursue your specific interests. The student body is smart, engaged, enthusiastic, and interested in maintaining a strong community. The program lacks diversity and the funding of its students could be improved."

"Great program with knowledgeable and accessible faculty. Work load is heavy, but not impossible. Work-life balance is hard to achieve for students who are also parents, however the department is empathetic. Can be socially isolating. A lot of diversity in terms of international students, however limited somewhat in terms of racial/ethnic diversity and very limited in terms of LGBTQ and other gender diversity. Overall campus is easy and the town is easy and everyone is super friendly and its ridiculously safe. Helps to not have the city living struggles on top of PhD work."

"I am in Statistics PhD program. I am really glad I made the right choice. Davis is a small town, quiet and safe. It's a really good place for doing research. The faculty in my department is really nice and professional. I could learn a lot here."

"Pro: excellent professors, great environment to research, good location Con: If we have more courses and more frequently, that would be great."

"Overall, the graduate psychology program at Davis is amazing. The quality of faculty and facilities is outstanding, and the faculty and department provide a wealth of social and financial support. After four years here, I am convinced this is one of the best psychology graduate programs in the nation, if not the world."

"The faculty are wonderful, and the program is small enough to allow for meaningful mentorship."

"UC Davis Psychology provides a highly collaborative environment with very supportive faculty. The cost of living is a bit high, but cheaper housing is found in Sacramento if you're willing to commute. The stipend isn't great, but its livable. Research is top quality. Instruction is low-pressure, but very interesting."