NC State vs UC Davis

North Carolina State University at Raleigh and University of California-Davis, both highly regarded public research universities, offer distinct educational experiences. NC State boasts a higher acceptance rate (50%) compared to UC Davis's (41%), making it slightly easier to gain admission. While NC State excels in engineering, computer science, and agriculture, UC Davis shines in biological sciences, agricultural sciences, and veterinary medicine. NC State's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students, while UC Davis has a larger undergraduate population. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with NC State at 84% and UC Davis at 82%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh logo

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

University of California-Davis logo

University of California-Davis

Overview

Location Raleigh, North Carolina Davis, California
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 94.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 47.5% 48.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range 1270 - 1440 N/A
ACT range 27 - 32 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 21.0%
Students submitting ACT score 34.0%
Total number of applicants 32,998 87,120
Total number of admissions given out 15,669 42,475
Admitted students who chose to enroll 5,046 7,482
Yield rate 32.2% 17.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $24,986

Out of state: $45,771
In state: $32,584

Out of state: $62,338
Average net price $14,328 $16,640
Tuition
In state: $6,535

Out of state: $27,320
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,768

Meal plan: $4,833
$17,018
Available payment plans
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

62.0%
Average amount $9,318
59.0%
Average amount $17,628
Students receiving federal student loan 40.0%
Average amount $5,022
23.0%
Average amount $4,043
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $14,600
11.0%
Average amount $3,360

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 26,505
Men 50.9% Women 49.1%
31,657
Men 39.8% Women 60.2%
Graduate students 10,326
Men 49.8% Women 50.2%
8,393
Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 12.9% 7.5%
International students 9.5% 17.0%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity 10,024 11,142
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from North Carolina Virginia New York New Jersey Maryland California Washington Illinois Texas Hawaii

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Agriculture
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Agriculture
  • Engineering
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 15:1 21:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 84.4% 86.9%
Dropout rate 5.0% 11.8%
Transferred out 9.6% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Software and Media Applications (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,745
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $122,470
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $94,886
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $113,307
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,892
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $92,582
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,869
  • Year 2: $74,200
  • Year 3: $88,476
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,974
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $88,260
Civil Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,860
  • Year 2: $81,702
  • Year 3: $86,459
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,857
  • Year 2: $70,710
  • Year 3: $83,417
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,627
  • Year 2: $70,057
  • Year 3: $83,342
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,222
  • Year 2: $69,757
  • Year 3: $81,552
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,081
  • Year 2: $70,253
  • Year 3: $80,463
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $121,903
  • Year 2: $135,393
  • Year 3: $137,917
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $127,500
  • Year 2: $125,015
  • Year 3: $135,009
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,299
  • Year 2: $116,258
  • Year 3: $127,335
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,488
  • Year 2: $81,609
  • Year 3: $103,694
Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,669
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $100,961
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $112,976
  • Year 2: $98,186
  • Year 3: $99,585
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,487
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $98,364
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $87,604
  • Year 3: $94,032
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,487
  • Year 2: $70,370
  • Year 3: $89,594
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,514
  • Year 2: $74,262
  • Year 3: $87,586

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