This article was originally reported in September 2025.
In the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges rankings, released on September 29, 2025, the University of California, Davis placed second among public universities and 13th among all 584 eligible universities. The ranking focuses on how well colleges set graduates up for financial success. UC Davis’s first announcement gave third among publics and 12th overall; a correction the next day updated both numbers to reflect errors in the original release (UC Davis News, September 29, 2025, corrected September 30).
How the WSJ/College Pulse Ranking Works
| Category | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Student outcomes | 70% | Salary boost beyond what would be expected for the college’s students (33%), years needed to pay off the net price of attendance (17%), and graduation rate (20%) |
| Learning environment | 20% | Learning opportunities, career preparation, satisfaction with learning facilities, and willingness to recommend the college (5% each), from surveys of about 120,000 students and recent alumni |
| Diversity | 10% | Ethnic diversity, share of Pell Grant recipients, and inclusion of students with disabilities (about 3.3% each) |
Because most of the score compares graduates’ outcomes with what would be expected given the students a college enrolls, this ranking can look very different from U.S. News. Its methodology changes have also moved schools sharply between editions: the University of Florida, for example, went from No. 1 among publics in the 2024 edition to No. 34 in 2025 after the Journal added state cost of living to the salary measure (see our explainer on why rankings differ).
UC Davis in Other Rankings That Season
- U.S. News Best Colleges 2026 (September 23, 2025): tied for No. 9 among public universities and tied for No. 32 among national universities.
- Washington Monthly 2025 (August 2025): No. 12 among public universities and No. 23 among “America’s Best Colleges for Research.”
- The Princeton Review, The Best 391 Colleges, 2026 Edition (August 2025): recognized for making an impact, career placement and value for money.
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 (October 2025): No. 64 in the world and No. 10 among U.S. public universities (UC Davis News, October 2025).
Latest Update
In the U.S. News Best Colleges 2027 rankings, published in September 2026, UC Davis rose to No. 8 among public universities and tied for No. 34 among all national universities, its sixth consecutive year in the public top 10 (UC Davis News, September 2026). For UC Davis’s results in the Forbes, Washington Monthly, Princeton Review, THE and QS lists through 2026, see our report on UC Davis in the 2025–26 rankings.
What It Means for International Students
- Read what each ranking measures. WSJ’s salary and payback measures are based on U.S. earnings data and net prices for domestic students; international students pay nonresident tuition and usually do not receive Pell Grants or need-based UC aid, so their own return on investment will differ.
- Compare by field. UC Davis is especially strong in agriculture, veterinary medicine and the life sciences; its graduate veterinary program is No. 1 in U.S. News (2026). Check program rankings for your intended major on our program rankings page.
- Cost: for 2026–27, UC systemwide tuition and fees for nonresident undergraduates total $54,848 before housing and campus fees (California Legislative Analyst’s Office, May 2026). See our UC Davis page for admissions and enrollment data.
References
- UC Davis News: Wall Street Journal Rankings: UC Davis Positions Graduates for Financial Success (September 29, 2025; corrected September 30)
- UC Davis News: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 (October 2025)
- UC Davis News: U.S. News Best Colleges 2027 (September 2026)
- California Legislative Analyst’s Office: UC nonresident tuition report (May 12, 2026)
- Forward Pathway: UC Davis in the 2025–26 Rankings
- Forward Pathway: University of California-Davis