UC Davis admission requirements for international students follow the University of California system: one UC application, four Personal Insight Questions, self-reported grades, proof of English, and a $95 fee for international applicants. UC Davis does not use SAT or ACT scores, and it does not ask for recommendation letters. For fall 2027 entry the filing period runs from 1 October to 30 November 2026, and there is no early round.
UC Davis admitted 48,015 of 104,864 first-year applicants for fall 2026 (45.8%), and preliminary UC data puts the international admit rate even higher, at 66.6%. The hard part is cost. UC Davis estimates $88,693 for an international first-year in 2026-27, and it offers no need-based aid to students on F-1 or J-1 visas. Every figure below was checked on UC Davis and University of California pages on 29 October 2026.
UC Davis ranking and headline numbers
UC Davis is ranked #34 among National Universities in the U.S. News 2027 edition, tied with UC Irvine and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. U.S. News also placed it 8th among public universities, its sixth straight year in the public top 10. In the 2026 edition it was #32.
| Measure | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. News National Universities | #34 (tie) | U.S. News 2027 edition, released Sept 2026 |
| U.S. News top public schools | 8th | U.S. News 2027 edition |
| First-year acceptance rate | 45.8% | UC first-year admit data, fall 2026 |
| International admit rate | About 66.6% | Preliminary UC Office of the President data, fall 2026 |
| International first-year admits | 14,009 | UC Office of the President, fall 2026 (preliminary) |
| Estimated cost for international students | $88,693 | UC Davis, 2026-27 |
| SAT or ACT | Not used | UC policy |
Some subject rankings in the same U.S. News release show where UC Davis is strongest: biological and agricultural engineering (2nd, tied), undergraduate psychology (8th, tied), civil engineering (14th, tied) and environmental engineering (17th, tied).
UC Davis acceptance rate and class profile
UC publishes campus admit data each summer. These are the official fall 2026 figures, with preliminary residency counts from the UC Office of the President (UCOP).
| Measure | Fall 2026 |
|---|---|
| First-year applicants | 104,864 |
| First-year admits | 48,015 |
| Acceptance rate | 45.8% (44.6% in fall 2025) |
| Admits who are international | 14,009 |
| Admits from other US states | 9,561 |
| Admits from California | 24,445 |
| International share of applicants | 20% |
| Weighted GPA of admits (middle 50%) | 4.00 to 4.25 |
| Unweighted GPA of admits (middle 50%) | 3.79 to 4.00 |
About 29% of fall 2026 admits were international students, which is high for a top public university. UC Davis says students from more than 110 countries make up 12% of its student body, out of 31,695 undergraduates.
I could not open the official UC Davis Common Data Set for 2025-26, so I have not quoted it here. The UC admit data above is the campus’s own published figure.
UC Davis tuition for international students in 2026-27
UC Davis’s one-page guide for fall 2027 international applicants gives these 2026-27 estimates.
| Cost item (2026-27) | International student |
|---|---|
| Systemwide tuition and fees | $15,588 |
| Nonresident supplemental tuition | $39,270 |
| International student administrative fee | $414 |
| Campus-based fees | $2,490 |
| Living expenses (estimate) | $30,931 |
| Total estimated cost | $88,693 |
The financial aid office’s detailed budget for a new student in a residence hall breaks living costs down further: room and board $22,252, health insurance $3,996, books $1,205, personal $2,656, transport $672 and a $150 document fee. Systemwide tuition and fees are fixed for up to six years from your first term, but the other items can rise.
UC Davis scholarships for international students
UC Davis states that most types of financial aid are not available to students on F-1, F-2, J-1 or J-2 visas. International students may still use the options below.
- Need-based aid: not offered to international undergraduates. You do not file the FAFSA, the CSS Profile or any UC Davis need form.
- Campus scholarships: UC Davis says international students may be eligible for some institutional scholarships and links to a list for international applicants. The Regents Scholarship pays $7,500, but the page does not say whether international students can receive it, so do not count on it.
- Outside scholarships: UC Davis keeps a list of outside awards that accept international students.
- Private loans and short-term emergency loans: available, usually with a US co-signer for private loans.
UC Davis does not publish merit award amounts for international students on its international aid page. If you need full funding, compare need-blind and full-need schools in our best American scholarships for international students guide and our list of US scholarships with upcoming deadlines.
UC Davis admission requirements for international students: the application parts
You apply through the UC application, which covers all nine UC undergraduate campuses. You pay per campus.
- UC application: personal details, citizenship, visa status (if any) and every school you attended from grade 9 or its equivalent.
- Academic history: you type in your courses and grades yourself. Do not send transcripts with the application; UC Davis asks for official records only if you are admitted.
- Activities and awards: up to 20 entries covering work, family duties, volunteering and school activities.
- Personal Insight Questions: four answers of up to 350 words each, chosen from eight questions.
- English proficiency: self-reported in the application if your schooling was not in English.
- Application fee: $95 per UC campus for international applicants; fee waivers are only for US citizens, permanent residents and AB540 students.
There are no recommendation letters, no interviews and no SAT or ACT. Your grades, the rigour of your courses and your PIQ answers decide the outcome.
Academic standard for international applicants
UC Davis reviews applications holistically. It asks that you complete secondary school and every requirement you would need to enter a competitive university in your home country. In practice that means:
- WAEC or NECO candidates should present strong final results with English and Mathematics.
- A-Level students should show predicted grades in three subjects.
- IB students should be on track for the full diploma.
Testing policy
UC Davis, like every UC campus, does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission or scholarship decisions. You may still report them after you apply for course placement, but they will not help or hurt your chances. Your English test is separate and still required if you studied in another language.
English requirements
UC Davis follows the UC systemwide English language proficiency rules. If you completed secondary school where English is not the language of instruction, meet one of these by December of your final school year.
| Option | Minimum |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT or iBT Home Edition | 80 (tests before January 2026) or 4.5 on the new scale (January 2026 onward) |
| IELTS | 6.5 |
| Duolingo English Test | 115 |
| SAT Writing and Language (older SAT) | 31 |
| ACT English Language Arts | 24 |
| AP English Language or Literature | 3, 4 or 5 |
| IB English A | 6 or 7 at Standard Level; 5, 6 or 7 at Higher Level |
UC does not accept MyBest TOEFL or IELTS One Skill Retake. The section score on the digital SAT does not count. UC notes that Davis may strongly recommend or require extra English testing for admitted students, and campuses may prefer scores above the minimum.
If your whole secondary education was in English, for example in Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya, you may not need a test. Read the UC rule carefully and, if in doubt, take IELTS or Duolingo anyway.
UC Davis deadline for fall 2027
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| UC application opens | 1 August 2026 |
| Filing period | 1 October to 30 November 2026 |
| Decisions released | March 2027 |
| Statement of Intent to Register | 1 May 2027 |
| Final transcripts | Summer 2027, as UC Davis instructs |
There is no Early Action or Early Decision at UC Davis. UC’s dates page gives the deadline date without a time, so treat it as California time and submit several days early.
Deadline
The UC application for fall 2027 closes on 30 November 2026. Late applications are not part of the normal process, so do not leave it to the last day.
How to apply to UC Davis, step by step
- Create your UC application account and select UC Davis (and any other UC campuses).
- Pick your major and an alternate if offered. Some majors are more selective than the campus average.
- Enter your courses and grades exactly as they appear on your school records, converting nothing.
- List activities and awards.
- Write four PIQs.
- Report your English test, or state how you meet the requirement.
- Pay $95 per campus and submit by 30 November 2026.
- Check your UC Davis applicant portal in the following weeks for messages.
How to write the UC Davis Personal Insight Questions, with a sample opening
You answer four of eight questions, each in up to 350 words. The prompts cover leadership, creativity, a talent, an educational opportunity or barrier, a significant challenge, an academic subject you love, service to your community, and what makes you stand out. UC says all questions are weighted equally.
- Write plainly. PIQs are short answers, and readers want facts about you.
- Use different stories for each answer so the four together show range.
- Tie at least one answer to your intended major.
- Explain context that a California reader would not know, such as sitting WAEC while working in a family business.
Sample opening for the academic subject question (for illustration only):
“My father’s poultry farm lost forty birds to heat in one week. I started recording the temperature in the pen every two hours, and that notebook is why I want to study animal science.”
UC Davis is known for agriculture, animal science and the life sciences, so an answer like that connects a real experience to a real strength of the campus.
What happens after you apply
- Portal setup: UC Davis emails instructions for its applicant portal.
- Decision in March 2027: admit, waitlist or deny.
- Accept by 1 May 2027 through the Statement of Intent to Register, with a deposit.
- Official records: send final transcripts and English scores as instructed. Any grade drop can cancel an offer.
- Proof of funds: submit financial documents for the I-20.
- F-1 visa: pay the SEVIS fee and book your embassy interview.
- Orientation: UC Davis Services for International Students and Scholars runs an orientation each year.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Sending recommendation letters or SAT scores. UC Davis will not use them. Spend the time on your PIQs.
- Rounding up grades. Self-reported grades are checked against official records after admission. Mismatches can lead to a cancelled offer.
- Choosing a hard major without thinking. Popular majors admit at lower rates than the campus average.
- Missing the November deadline because they planned around January deadlines at other US schools.
- Assuming a scholarship will cover the gap. International aid at UC Davis is limited.
Costs that aid does not cover
- Flights to Sacramento or San Francisco and home each year.
- The F-1 visa fee and SEVIS I-901 fee.
- A bicycle and lights. Davis is a cycling town and most students ride.
- Summer housing if you stay for research or classes.
- Higher housing costs after the first year if you move into apartments.
- Fees and tuition changes after your first year, outside the frozen systemwide part.
UC Davis graduate admissions for international students
Graduate applications go through Graduate Studies and are reviewed by each programme. The application fee for international applicants is $155. You must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores unless your degree comes from a US institution or an English-only institution listed in the IAU database, and UC Davis does not offer conditional admission for missing English scores. Many PhD programmes fund students through fellowships or assistantships; master’s funding is rarer. Check each programme’s own deadline.
Majors, campus and city
UC Davis offers a wide range of majors across agriculture and environmental sciences, biological sciences, engineering, letters and science, and health. It has 25 NCAA Division I sports and more than 900 student clubs. Its strengths in agriculture, veterinary science and environmental science are among the best known in the country.
The campus is in Davis, a small, safe college town near Sacramento, California’s capital, with train links to the San Francisco Bay Area. Life is quieter than at UCLA or UC Irvine, and the cost of rent is lower than on the coast.
UC Davis compared with similar public universities
| University | U.S. News 2027 | Acceptance rate | International admit rate | 2026-27 cost for internationals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Davis | #34 (tie) | 45.8% (fall 2026) | About 66.6% | $88,693 |
| UC Irvine | #34 (tie) | 30.3% (fall 2026) | About 45.5% | $84,476 (nonresident) |
| UC Santa Barbara | #44 | 44.0% (fall 2026) | About 63.2% | $90,216 (nonresident) |
| Georgia Tech | #29 | 13.3% (fall 2025) | Not published | $55,314 |
International admit rates for the UC campuses come from preliminary UCOP data. You can also read our guides to UC San Diego and UC Berkeley, which use the same application.
Who should apply to UC Davis
Apply if:
- You have strong grades and want a large research university without SAT or ACT pressure.
- You are interested in agriculture, animal science, the life sciences, engineering or environmental fields.
- Your family or sponsor can cover close to $89,000 a year.
Think twice if:
- You need need-based aid or a full scholarship.
- You want a big-city campus.
- You cannot meet the English minimums by December of your final year.
FAQ on UC Davis admission requirements for international students
What is the UC Davis acceptance rate for international students?
Preliminary UC data puts the fall 2026 international admit rate at about 66.6%, higher than the overall rate of 45.8%. UC Davis admitted 14,009 international first-year students for fall 2026.
Does UC Davis give scholarships to international students?
Only a few. Need-based aid is not available on F-1 or J-1 visas, though some campus and outside scholarships accept international students. No award amounts for international students are published.
How much does UC Davis cost for international students?
UC Davis estimates $88,693 for 2026-27: $55,272 in tuition and the international fee, $2,490 in campus fees and about $30,931 in living expenses.
Does UC Davis require SAT or IELTS?
UC Davis does not use the SAT or ACT. You do need to prove English, for example IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115 or TOEFL 80 (4.5 on the 2026 scale), if your schooling was not in English.
Sources and updates
I checked this guide on 29 October 2026 against UC Davis pages (the fall 2027 international one-page guide, the 2026-27 cost of attendance page, the international financial aid page, the Regents Scholarship page, the exam and visa page, Graduate Studies’ international applicant page, and the September 2026 U.S. News news release) and University of California pages (fall 2027 dates and deadlines, application fees, English language proficiency and UC Davis first-year admit data). Residency admit counts come from the UC Office of the President’s preliminary fall 2026 admissions tables; the international admit rate is College Kickstart’s summary of the same UCOP data. The UC Davis cost page and UC English proficiency page are the best places to confirm changes. I will update this page when UC Davis publishes fall 2027 data.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
