Admissions · United States
UC Davis Acceptance Rate: Admissions Statistics and TOEFL & IELTS Requirements
UC Davis admitted 45.8% of first-year applicants for fall 2026: 48,015 of 104,864, according to University of California admissions data.
UC Davis TOEFL and IELTS requirements at a glance
| Applying for | TOEFL iBT | IELTS Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate (first-year) | TOEFL iBT4.5 on the 1–6 scale for tests taken from January 2026; 80 on the 0–120 scale for tests taken before January 2026 (iBT or iBT Home Edition). | IELTS Academic6.5 or higher |
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UC Davis's newest figures come from the University of California's admit data for fall 2026; the three earlier years, the international figures and the transfer figures come from the UC Information Center's undergraduate admissions summary, which is also published by the University of California Office of the President. Below are those four years, the international, yield and transfer rates, and the UC-wide TOEFL and IELTS minimums that apply to UC Davis.
Figures read from official sources on · LingoLeap Admissions Research
UC Davis acceptance rate by year
UC Davis acceptance rate by applicant group
| Group | Cycle | Rate | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| International | Fall 2025 | 56.1% | 11,700 admitted of 20,844 source |
| International | Fall 2024 | 50.7% | 9,419 admitted of 18,582 source |
| International | Fall 2023 | 49.0% | 8,839 admitted of 18,041 source |
| Yield (admits who enrolled) | Fall 2025 | 14.9% | 6,805 enrolled of 45,673 admitted source |
| Yield (admits who enrolled) | Fall 2024 | 16.4% | 6,767 enrolled of 41,353 admitted source |
| Yield (admits who enrolled) | Fall 2023 | 16.7% | 6,578 enrolled of 39,400 admitted source |
| Transfer | Fall 2026 | 58.3% | 10,138 admitted of 17,400; 93.3% of admits from California community colleges source |
| Transfer | Fall 2025 | 56.4% | 9,683 admitted of 17,168 source |
| Transfer | Fall 2024 | 58.3% | 9,606 admitted of 16,478 source |
| Transfer | Fall 2023 | 64.3% | 9,489 admitted of 14,755 source |
What the numbers mean
UC Davis's first-year admit rate has risen for three years in a row, from 41.6% for fall 2023 to 45.8% for fall 2026. Applications grew from 94,638 to 104,864 over that time, but admits grew faster, from 39,400 to 48,015. Yield, the share of admits who enrolled, fell from 16.7% for fall 2023 to 14.9% for fall 2025, so Davis admits roughly six to seven students for every one who enrolls. The middle half of fall 2026 admits had a high school GPA of 4.00–4.25 on UC's scale.
International applicants, as the UC Information Center counts them, were admitted at a higher rate than the overall pool: 56.1% for fall 2025 (11,700 of 20,844), 50.7% for fall 2024 and 49.0% for fall 2023. This page does not give separate rates for California residents and out-of-state US applicants: those come from UC Davis's own Common Data Set, which we could not retrieve for this update, so they are left out rather than estimated.
Transfer applicants were admitted at 58.3% for fall 2026 (10,138 of 17,400), and 93.3% of admitted transfers came from California community colleges. The fall-term transfer rate was 56.4% for fall 2025, 58.3% for fall 2024 and 64.3% for fall 2023.
UC Davis follows the University of California's English language proficiency requirement: TOEFL iBT 4.5 for tests taken from January 2026 (80 on the 0–120 scale before then), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115, taken by December of the final year of secondary school. UC notes that a campus may require higher scores for admission selection, and that Davis may strongly recommend or require additional English testing for admitted applicants.
UC Davis TOEFL and IELTS requirements
Minimums for international applicants from the university's own pages. Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL iBT reports a 1–6 band score; the notes give the older 0–120 equivalent where the university states one. Convert TOEFL and IELTS scores.
Undergraduate (first-year)
TOEFL iBT: 4.5 on the 1–6 scale for tests taken from January 2026; 80 on the 0–120 scale for tests taken before January 2026 (iBT or iBT Home Edition).
IELTS Academic: 6.5 or higher
University of California minimum, which applies to UC Davis; UC Davis's own international page lists the accepted tests but no separate scores. Duolingo English Test minimum 115. The test must be taken by December of the final year of secondary school. UC does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake or MyBest TOEFL; only the highest composite score from a single sitting counts. AP, IB, ACT, SAT and college English composition results can also meet the requirement. A campus may require a higher score for admission selection, and UC says Davis may strongly recommend or require additional English testing for admitted applicants.
UC Admissions: English language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS) · checked 26 October 2026
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FAQ
What is UC Davis's acceptance rate?
UC Davis admitted 48,015 of 104,864 first-year applicants for fall 2026, an acceptance rate of 45.8%, according to University of California admissions data. The rate was 44.3% for fall 2025, 41.8% for fall 2024 and 41.6% for fall 2023.
What is UC Davis's international acceptance rate?
According to the UC Information Center, UC Davis admitted 11,700 of 20,844 international first-year applicants for fall 2025 (56.1%), 9,419 of 18,582 for fall 2024 (50.7%) and 8,839 of 18,041 for fall 2023 (49.0%).
What is UC Davis's transfer acceptance rate?
UC Davis admitted 10,138 of 17,400 transfer applicants for fall 2026 (58.3%). For the fall term it admitted 9,683 of 17,168 for fall 2025 (56.4%), 9,606 of 16,478 for fall 2024 (58.3%) and 9,489 of 14,755 for fall 2023 (64.3%).
Is UC Davis getting easier to get into?
On University of California figures the first-year admit rate has risen each year: 41.6% for fall 2023, 41.8% for fall 2024, 44.3% for fall 2025 and 45.8% for fall 2026. Applications rose over the same years, but admits rose faster.
What TOEFL score does UC Davis require?
UC Davis uses the University of California minimum: TOEFL iBT (or iBT Home Edition) 4.5 for tests taken from January 2026, and 80 on the 0–120 scale for tests taken before then. UC accepts only the highest composite score from a single sitting, not MyBest scores, and says a campus may require a higher score for selection.
What IELTS score does UC Davis require?
UC Davis uses the University of California minimum of IELTS 6.5. UC does not accept the IELTS One Skill Retake, and the test must be taken by December of the final year of secondary school. The Duolingo English Test minimum is 115.