UC Davis vs Florida State

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Davis, California, and Tallahassee, Florida, home to the prestigious University of California-Davis (UC Davis) and Florida State University (FSU), respectively. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences shaped by their unique locations, student demographics, and academic strengths. UC Davis boasts a higher acceptance rate, attracting a diverse student body from across the globe, while FSU's smaller size fosters a close-knit community. Explore their contrasting popular majors, ranging from agricultural sciences at UC Davis to business and criminology at FSU. Delve into the comparison table to uncover further disparities in graduation rates, tuition fees, and the vibrant student life each university offers. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, setting the stage for an enriching and transformative college journey.
Florida State University logo

Florida State University

University of California-Davis logo

University of California-Davis

Overview

Location Tallahassee, Florida Davis, California
Campus setting City: Midsize 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 37.1% 48.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $30

Graduate: $30
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range 1180 - 1340 N/A
ACT range 26 - 30 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 65.0%
Students submitting ACT score 36.0%
Total number of applicants 65,235 87,120
Total number of admissions given out 24,183 42,475
Admitted students who chose to enroll 7,619 7,482
Yield rate 31.5% 17.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA 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: $23,476

Out of state: $36,606
In state: $32,584

Out of state: $62,338
Average net price $12,684 $16,640
Tuition
In state: $4,022

Out of state: $16,540
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,020

Meal plan: $4,856
$17,018
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

94.0%
Average amount $10,620
59.0%
Average amount $17,628
Students receiving federal student loan 19.0%
Average amount $4,996
23.0%
Average amount $4,043
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $13,430
11.0%
Average amount $3,360

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 33,593
Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
31,657
Men 39.8% Women 60.2%
Graduate students 11,537
Men 38.4% Women 61.6%
8,393
Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 15.7% 7.5%
International students 4.2% 17.0%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity 6,709 11,142
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Florida Georgia New Jersey New York Illinois California Washington Illinois Texas Hawaii

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Legal Profession
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Agriculture
  • Engineering
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 22:1 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 83.2% 86.9%
Dropout rate 10.9% 11.8%
Transferred out 5.3% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,926
  • Year 2: $92,632
  • Year 3: $102,429
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,442
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $89,448
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,610
  • Year 2: $68,305
  • Year 3: $78,263
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,971
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $78,057
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,179
  • Year 2: $83,177
  • Year 3: $77,718
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,794
  • Year 2: $74,576
  • Year 3: $77,527
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,567
  • Year 2: $61,516
  • Year 3: $75,845
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,881
  • Year 2: $68,918
  • Year 3: $74,476
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $74,364
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,216
  • Year 2: $60,325
  • Year 3: $72,686
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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.