2025 College Rankings

The University of California, Davis, a leading land-grant research university near Sacramento, is often describes as a “public Ivy.” Despite its strong academic reputation and solid career outcomes, the institution reflects many of the broader pathologies afflicting higher education.

The administration frequently prioritizes activism over sound governance. Its diversity, equity, and inclusion bureaucracy—headed by a chief diversity officer and employing dozens of staff—is extensive, and most campus job postings now require diversity statements. The university has also embraced political messaging through land acknowledgments and environmental pledges. Yet, despite these gestures, UC Davis has commendably adopted institutional neutrality and rejected the student government’s calls to boycott Israel.

That bright spot aside, anti-Semitic radicalism remains a serious problem that the university has failed to confront effectively. The AMCHA Initiative rates UC Davis a four out of five on its Anti-Zionist Faculty Barometer—signifying a “severe” problem—and has recorded more than 100 anti-Semitic incidents since 2015. When student protesters erected an encampment in May 2024, administrators let it stand for 44 days and even arranged meetings between protesters and trustees rather than restoring order. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is now investigating UC Davis for failing to respond adequately to anti-Semitic harassment.

The university’s support for free speech is shaky. Only about 35 percent of students say it is “extremely” or “very” clear that the administration protects free expression, and just 27 percent believe it is “extremely” or “very” likely that the university would defend the rights of a controversial speaker. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) gives UC Davis a “yellow” rating for its speech code, meaning its policies could be used to restrict speech.

Among students, the climate for open expression is strained. There are roughly 2.5 liberals for every conservative, and many students report self-censoring. The campus has also seen multiple de-platforming incidents in recent years. In 2023, protesters caused significant property damage and injured a police officer while attempting to shut down an event featuring Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September 2025. In 2022, the university canceled an event with conservative activist Stephen Davis after violence erupted among protesters; both the speaker and student organizers required a police escort to leave safely.

The curriculum is poor. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) gives UC Davis an F in its What Will They Learn? ratings, which assign letter grades based on how many of seven core subjects are required in the core curriculum or general education program. While UC Davis mandates diversity, equity, and inclusion–focused courses, it does not require instruction in U.S. government or history.

Despite these academic shortcomings, the university effectively supports student achievement and career outcomes. Graduates recoup the cost of their education in just 1.5 years, on average. Ten years after enrollment, alumni earn $9,532 more than predicted based on SAT scores and Pell Grant rates, and the university’s retention rate exceeds expectations by 3.25 percent. UC Davis does, however, slightly underperform in the predicted rate of graduates earning Ph.D.s.