Golden State Today

The University of California, Davis, has been ranked No. 11 among public universities and No. 26 among all 438 national universities in the Washington Monthly 2024 College Rankings released on August 25.

UC Davis also secured the 28th position, or 21st among public universities, on the Best Bang for the Buck list for the West.

In a new ranking focused on schools for women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), UC Davis was placed 14th in civil engineering.

Among public universities in the overall national universities category, UC Davis joined other University of California campuses: No. 2 UC Berkeley, No. 7 UCLA, and No. 9 UC San Diego.

The rankings are based on three equally weighted categories: social mobility, research, and community and national service. “This means that top-ranked colleges needed to be excellent across the full breadth of our measures rather than excelling in just one measure,” the editors explained regarding their methodology.

In another set of rankings by Princeton Review’s The Best 390 Colleges — 2025 Edition released today, UC Davis was recognized as follows among public universities:

- Seventh in the Top 20 Best Schools for Making an Impact

- Twenty-seventh among the Top 50 Best Value Colleges

- Fifteenth for the Top 20 Best Career Placement

Additionally, UC Davis appeared on unranked lists for Best Value Colleges, Green Colleges, and Best West Colleges.

UC Davis is highly regarded for its transformative impact on students' lives through research excellence and academic programs. The university values third-party assessments while acknowledging that ranking methods can vary over time and may be subjective. It focuses on rankings that align with its mission and values—such as serving the public good, inclusiveness and equity, and social mobility—and particularly considers its standing among public universities in national rankings. Prospective students are encouraged to consider rankings alongside other factors when making college decisions and to consult with counselors and admissions advisors at UC Davis.