UC Davis ranked No. 8 best public university by U.S. News
The school moved up one spot in the public college rankings, but moved down two spots in the overall national rankings
By ZAYNAB MOHIUDDEEN — campus@theaggie.org
UC Davis has risen from No. 9 to a tie at No. 8 on a new list of the best public universities in the country.
In the U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings, Davis tied with UC Irvine for No. 8, marking the sixth consecutive year UC Davis has ranked among the top 10 best public universities.
“We’re proud to be recognized as one of the very best public universities in the country, and also for UC Davis’ role as an engine of social mobility for people from California and beyond,” Chancellor Gary May said in a Sept. 21 announcement. “This ranking reflects the commitment of our faculty, staff and administrators to access, opportunity and excellence for our students.”
In the overall list with both public and private schools, UC Davis tied for No. 34 alongside 7 other schools, including UC Irvine. It moved two spots down from its rank of No. 32 last year. Davis also ranked No. 10 for best value for in-state students and tied for No. 37 for social mobility.
Eric Brooks, director of education data analysis at U.S. News, said via email that small ranking changes do not necessarily indicate changes in educational quality.
“Rankings may shift due to changes in a school's metrics, peer institutions' data or methodological adjustments,” Brooks said. “Schools with similar rankings have relatively small differences in their underlying scores.”
Brooks said Davis’ movements were largely due to minor relative data shifts. Student outcomes account for 52% of the overall score, including graduation, retention, Pell Grant graduation performance and postgraduate earnings. The public university list uses the same 17 factors and weighting formula as the national university rankings, just with private institutions removed. These factors are detailed in U.S. News’ full methodology.
UC Davis Director of News and Media Relations James Nash attributed Davis’ favorable score in part to the university’s investments in retention and advising.
“Over the past several years, the campus has increased our focus on retention initiatives and identifying students who may need additional support to remain enrolled as soon as possible,” Nash said. “We have also invested in advising efforts and supported greater collaboration among the advising community to improve student advising experience and access.”
At UC Davis, 69% of students graduate without debt and 68% of undergraduates receive some form of aid, according to Nash. For the 2023-24 academic year, UC Davis graduates who borrowed had an average debt of $17,472, compared to a national average of $29,560.
Nash says UC Davis also uses rankings to evaluate its progress toward the university’s goals.
“The university performs self-evaluations and also appreciates the value of third-party assessments,” Nash said. “However, ranking methods vary, change over time and can be subjective. UC Davis focuses on those rankings that most closely align with its mission and values — including serving the public good, inclusiveness and equity, and social mobility — and in national rankings looks most closely at its standing among public universities.”
Elsewhere in the UC system, UC Berkeley and UCLA tied for No. 1 among public universities, with UCLA moving up from No. 2 last year. A UC campus has held the top public university spot in every version of the ranking since 1999. UC San Diego remained No. 6 and UC Santa Barbara remained No. 14. UC Merced fell from No. 25 to No. 30, UC Riverside moved from No. 36 to No. 37 and UC Santa Cruz went from No. 43 to No. 50, compared with the previous year’s rankings.
Although the rankings are comprehensive, Brooks echoed U.S. News’ guidance that ranks should be part of a larger holistic decision making process when choosing a college.
“Ultimately, no ranking by itself can determine which college is best for any student,” Brooks said. “Rankings should be used alongside other information [...] to help identify the institution that best aligns with a student's academic interests, goals and preferences.”
Still, Nash says Aggies can take some pride in their school’s high score.
“[UC Davis students] can be proud to be part of a top university that supports access and social mobility while providing a high-quality educational experience, research opportunities and a commitment to serving the state, the nation and the world,” Nash said.
Written by: Zaynab Mohiuddeen — campus@theaggie.org