Address: One Shields Avenue, 95616 Davis, California, United States
Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Biological Sciences
The University Farm that opened at Davis in 1908 as the research and instruction extension of UC Berkeley is the starting point of the University of California, Davis, a public research university about 15 miles west of Sacramento. Its Farm School welcomed 18 students in January 1909, and in May of that year more than 2,200 people came to the first Picnic Day. The campus was renamed the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture in 1922 and the College of Agriculture at Davis in 1938, and in 1959 the University of California regents designated it a general campus.
Teaching is organised in four undergraduate colleges, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science, together with schools of education, law, management, medicine, nursing and veterinary medicine. The university profile lists 107 academic majors and 101 graduate degrees, and the university enrolls roughly 40,000 students. Besides the main campus at Davis there are sites in Sacramento and San Ramon, and the School of Veterinary Medicine was ranked first in the nation in a 1975 survey of deans.
In the ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2026, UC Davis placed fifth in veterinary sciences, seventh in ecology and tenth in water resources, and in the 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities it stood in the 101-150 band. It is a member of the Association of American Universities, its sports teams are the Aggies with Gunrock the Mustang as mascot, and the alumnus Charles M. Rice won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Domains taught:
Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Part of University of California system. World leader in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and environmental science. Strong focus on sustainability. Member of AAU.
Research:
A leading research university with exceptional strength in agricultural sciences, veterinary medicine, plant sciences, environmental toxicology, and food science. Very high research expenditure.
Famous Alumnis:
Stephen Robinson, Martin Yan, Delaine Eastin, Ann Veneman, Hasan Minhaj
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
10000
Current students***:
40000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
250000
Pros
World-renowned programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and environmental science; strong research focus on sustainability; friendly college town atmosphere.
Cons
Located in a smaller university town (Davis), some programs outside of its core strengths are less prominent, competitive admissions.
Best For
Students passionate about agriculture, veterinary medicine, environmental science, or biological sciences, seeking a world-class research university with a strong commitment to sustainability.
Texas A&M University in College Station is a public university whose main fields are engineering, agriculture and veterinary medicine, so it covers the same agricultural and veterinary ground as UC Davis.
Colorado State University, a public university in Fort Collins, lists agricultural sciences, veterinary medicine and environment among its main fields, which makes it a close match for Davis in land and animal sciences.
North Carolina State University in Raleigh combines engineering, agriculture and veterinary medicine as a public institution, a mix that mirrors the Davis college line-up.
University of Florida, public and based in Gainesville, is strong in agriculture alongside engineering and health sciences, which suits students who want agriculture inside a large comprehensive university.
University of California, Riverside is a sister campus in the same University of California system, with agriculture and entomology among its main fields, and it suits applicants who want a UC setting elsewhere in the state.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands is a public university built around food science, environmental sciences and life sciences, the closest European counterpart to Davis in agriculture and the environment.
University of Guelph in Canada is a public university in Guelph that joins agriculture and food science with veterinary medicine and environmental studies, the same triad that defines much of Davis.
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Sweden focuses on agricultural sciences, forestry and veterinary medicine, a specialised alternative to the broader Davis campus.
Royal Veterinary College in the United Kingdom is a public institution in London concentrating on veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing and bioscience, which matches the veterinary side of Davis.
Universität Hohenheim in Germany, based in Stuttgart, works in agricultural sciences and bioeconomy as well as food science and biotechnology, a profile close to the agricultural colleges at Davis.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
How did a farm become a University of California campus?
The site opened in 1908 as the University Farm, a research and instruction extension of UC Berkeley, and the campus was renamed the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture in 1922. The regents designated Davis a general campus in 1959, which opened the way to the colleges and professional schools that exist today.
Where is UC Davis and does it have other sites?
The main campus lies in the city of Davis, California, about 15 miles west of Sacramento, at One Shields Avenue. The university also operates in Sacramento and San Ramon.
Which colleges and schools does it include?
The four undergraduate colleges are Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science. Professional units include the School of Law, the School of Medicine, the School of Veterinary Medicine, the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, the School of Education and the Graduate School of Management.
What is the size of the student body?
Roughly 40,000 students are enrolled, and the university facts page lists 39,414. The university profile lists 107 academic majors and 101 graduate degrees.
What are its recognised strengths in the life sciences?
In the ShanghaiRanking subject ranking for 2026 it is fifth in veterinary sciences, seventh in ecology, tenth in water resources and twelfth in agricultural sciences. The School of Veterinary Medicine was ranked first in the nation in a 1975 survey of deans.
What is Picnic Day?
The first Picnic Day was held in May 1909, a few months after the Farm School opened, and drew more than 2,200 visitors. The event is recorded in the university's own account of its early years.
Which well-known people are linked to UC Davis?
Charles M. Rice, who won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, is an alumnus. The university is a member of the Association of American Universities, and its athletes compete as the Aggies in NCAA Division I.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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