University of California-Davis Reviews

"I enjoyed going to UC Davis. I thought it was a great experience and I learned a lot during my four years attending school there. I would say that their academics were very strong, however the social aspect was lacking a bit. Overall, I would do it again and recommend to others."

"It is a wonderful school and I learned so much! The English and Psychology departments offer interesting courses with knowledgable professors. There is a lot of support from faculty. The campus is also beautiful and the students have a good, non-competitive energy."

"Overall, my experience at UC Davis was valuable. I met many important friends during my time on campus that I am still close with today. The International Relations program had many interesting courses that explored both abstract theories and real-world applications, all taught by knowledgable professors who were experts in their field."

"It's a solid university. Not the most prestigious but great research opportunities and professors really look out for you/want to engage with you. Everyone is friendly and it feels like a supportive rather than competitive environment. Davis as a city also has a great vibe, although it can feel a little small-town at times."

"UC Davis is overall a fairly well-rounded school. The Electrical and Computer Engineering department is made up of staff and faculty who really do care about the growth and success of their students. Though, they do struggle a little bit financially due to politics and lack of clout (compared to UCB or UCLA). The classes and hands-on projects/labs can and will prepare you for a job right out of college, but it's dependent on how much effort you personally put in during your time there."

"I really enjoyed my time at UC Davis! The school facilities were cutting edge, the faculty were all excellent, every course I took seemed properly executed. The Center for Mind and Brain was a vital resource to learn about cognitive neuroscience and eesearch opportunities were plentiful."

"UC Davis was an incredible opportunity to gain further education. On campus, there is a diverse array of culture, and the campus itself is beautiful with lots of different opportunities to engage in social activities. Educationally, there are lots of different opportunities to engage in different courses based on interest. There are opportunities for all individuals regardless of your background. I would highly recommend attending this university. It has prepared me well for graduate school. There are also innumerable opportunities for extracurricular involvement.Read Less"

"I absolutely loved being an Aggie. I met lifelong friends there and my classes and professors helped to shape my worldview in a way that I appreciate more and more as I get older. The academics at UC Davis are rigorous without the cutthroat vibes of other universities. I felt I was really able to thrive there."

"University of California - Davis is a great college with a beautiful campus and amazing programs. Their environmental science program is one of the best in the United States and offers great opportunities for students. I made a lot of great friends there and I highly recommend it to prospective students."

"My time studying at the University of California, Davis was one of the most challenging and yet rewarding experiences I have ever had. One of the reasons why I chose to attend is because it has one of the nicest campuses I've visited, with so much greenery and pleasant to walk around. Also, the people are very kind and willing to help you more often than not. It operates on the quarter system so it can be rigorous but there are many support systems and professors are very understanding."

"UC Davis provided so many opportunities, from academic to social. I was able to access all my classes easily, work on campus, and get volunteering hours without difficulty. The campus was easily accessible by bus, walking, or biking. Staff were all friendly and knowledgeable."

"The school has a really calm and beautiful environment, plenty of trees and I really like the arboretum, where you can take a walk after a stressful day and smell the trees and look at all the ducks. However, I think some of the professors are not being considerable to the students. They don't feel like they care about the student, they teach some content that is really hard and doesn't consider undergraduate level. But most of the professors are nice and most of the courseworks prepared me for my careerRead Less"

"I attended UC Davis from 2019 - 2023, and I would recommend it to other students. It was sad that during covid we lost more than a year of college, so I feel like I missed out a lot. Davis is a college town, so it is a small town mainly with mostly college students. It is a bit boring, but also the community is close with each other, and the campus is pretty. Overall, the school and academic was alright, the campus was kind of old, and there can be a lot of improvements."

"UC Davis is a really nice school to go to. What most people don't expect is how much of a college town it is, and how it feels like you're so immersed on campus as well as being part of a community that is dominated by students. Also whether you prefer to bike or bus, it's very accessible and the campus-ran bus system serves the City of Davis. Sacramento isn't too far either, so that's a nice place to visit during the weekends, and San Francisco as about a 90 minute drive."

"Overall the system installed is designed to help those who are mostly fluent in multiple subjects such as pursuing a dual or double major in undergraduate collegiate level. However, many students are really busy approaching the competition of ending up on the dean's list or honor roll. Also many students are always working on research projects, adding minors and emphasis to their resumes, and joining clubs or being a part of a athletic program. There are many smart hard-working students who flourish at Davis because it is actually a hyper-competitive environment where there are students coming fresh out of HS with transferrable AP courses to UC credits as well as year-round summer sessions + boots campus learning new programming. Many students are in a fast-paced quarter system where expectations of studying and taking difficult upper-division classes altogether has become a normality.Read Less"

"I would recommend attending UC Davis. It's a very good public/research school with a laid-back campus atmosphere and a small college town vibe. When I attended Davis, the student body was largely relaxed, practical, and forward-thinking. I observed the same in the community of Davis at large. I was a California community college transfer, and I met many other people at UC Davis were transfers. The generous transfer policy gave these students the opportunity to attend and graduate from a top-tier public university without going into massive debt. If you are interested in life sciences, agriculture, or food sciences, then this is a fantastic school with a ton of interesting courses. If you are in a more generic major, like Economics, then the program is not as highly ranked as some other public universities but the upper division instruction for a Bachelor's degree is adequate and befitting of a University of California campus. If you are looking for a rollicking nightlife and fraternity culture, I did not notice a lot of that while I attended, but I was an older student transfer so I may have been out of the loop. After graduating, my career prospects have been very solid and my UC Davis degree got my foot in the door in an industry unrelated to my major. I learned skills in my Economics program that were applicable to many different professions that also helped with my career. Overall, Davis is a fun and rewarding school to attend but the slower, laid back and small town feel may not appeal to certain students/personality types.Read Less"

"The Engineering Department at University of California, Davis is a top-tier education department. The University is on a quarter system and the engineering department consists of interactive labs, courses, and community. The culture is very supportive and not cutthroat like other universities. Expect a work hard and enjoyment vibe through the college town."

"I knew UC Davis was my campus from the moment I set foot on the pavement at the Memorial Union. It's a college town, Davis, and it feels that way still, even with the thirty thousand plus students. The faculty always treated me with respect, though I know my scope was limited due to the fact that I was not a STEM major. There are also plenty of resources on campus for any kind of support you need, whether it's mental health, income, or disability-related. I don't regret my time at Davis, even if my final two quarters were online during COVID.Read Less"

"I had a very rewarding experience here. I experienced a variety of courses in my curriculum and I met meaningful friends here. The campus is huge and there is a lot to do so there is a good balance of school/personal life. Some buildings are older but there’s also a lot of newer buildings with advanced technology."

"UC Davis was a fantastic experience for college. I loved campus, the academics, the community, and my peers that I spent time with. It was a very rewarding experience and I learned a lot during my four years there. I honestly would not choose to have gone anywhere else."