The College of Letters and Science at UC Davis is proud to demonstrate its excellence in education, teaching, enrichment, research and impact.
U.S. News & World Report Rankings
Overall Rankings for UC Davis
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“America's Best Graduate Schools”
Other Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022
UC Davis overall: 30th among U.S. universities
QS World University Rankings 2024
(1,499 ranked)
UC Davis overall: 132
QS World University Rankings-Sustainability 2024
Among U.S. universities: 5
Among world universities: 16
QS World University Rankings: USA 2023
Among U.S. universities: 28
Among public universities: 11
QS World University Rankings 2023 by College of Letters and Science Programs
(Top 25 among U.S. universities)
- 20: Earth and Marine Sciences
- 21: Economics and Econometrics
- 21: Geophysics
- 21: Geology
- 22: Statistics and Operational Research
Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities 2021
- Top 25: Communication, Psychology, Statistics
- Top 50: Economics
UC Davis overall: 91
U.S. News & World Report Global Rankings 2023
(200 schools ranked in the U.S. and in more than 95 other countries)
- Top 50: Psychology
- Top 100: Geosciences, Mathematics, Space Science
- Top 200: Arts and Humanities, Computer Science, Economics and Business
UC Davis overall: 73
Several College of Letters and Science graduate programs rank among the top in the nation:
- 8th Earth Sciences: Environmental Sciences (2022)
- 9th History: U.S. Colonial History (2014)
- 9th Psychology: Developmental Psychology (2022)
- 10th Sociology: Sex & Gender (2014)
- 11th Psychology: Cognitive Psychology (2022)
- 12th Psychology (2022)
- 13th Statistics (2022)
- 13th Mathematics: Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics (2023)
- 14th Earth Sciences (2023)
- 15th Fine Arts: Studio Art, Design, Dramatic Arts and Creative Writing (2020)
- 15th Political Science: Comparative Politics (2014)
- 15th Political Science: Political Methodology (2014)
- 16th Earth Sciences: Geology (2023)
- 16th Economics: International Economics (2022)
- 24th History (2021)
- 24th Statistics: Biostatistics (2022)
- 25th Earth Sciences: Geochemistry (2022)
- 25th Political Science (2021)
- 26th Economics (2022)
- 26th English (2021)
- 30th Mathematics (2023)
- 31st Sociology (2021)
- 38th Chemistry (2023)
- 38th Physics (2023)
- 41st Computer Science (2023)
Did You Know?
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We are ranked 2nd among national public universities for upward social mobility by Washington Monthly magazine's 2021 National University Rankings.

UC Davis ranked 4th among public universities in America's Top Colleges by Forbes for best return on investment.
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58 percent of our California resident undergraduates received enough gift aid to fully cover their base tuition and fees.

UC Davis is one of 15 public four-year colleges with high graduation rates leading to high incomes.