Home / Schools / California
The real 4-year cost of University of California-Davis in California
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at University of California-Davis went from $8,635 to $18,078, an average of 2.4% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $18,0782026-27 entering cohort annual: systemwide tuition+Student Services Fee ($15,588) plus campus-based fees ($2,490); non-resident adds Nonresident Supplemental Tuition ($39,270); excludes health insurance (~$3,996) and one-time document fee.source
Read with care: this school's history shows a tuition freeze or guarantee, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $8,635 | – | – |
| 2009 | $10,003 | – | – |
| 2010 | $11,958 | – | – |
| 2011 | $13,860 | – | – |
| 2012 | $13,877 | – | – |
| 2013 | $13,895 | – | – |
| 2014 | $13,896 | – | – |
| 2015 | $13,951 | – | – |
| 2016 | $14,046 | – | – |
| 2017 | $14,419 | – | – |
| 2018 | $14,402 | – | – |
| 2019 | $14,495 | – | – |
| 2020 | $14,597 | – | – |
| 2021 | $14,645 | – | – |
| 2022 | $14,858 | – | – |
| 2023 | $15,247 | – | – |
| 2026 | $18,078 | $18,078 | – |
| 2027 | – | $18,509 | $17,349–$19,669 |
| 2028 | – | $18,950 | $16,649–$21,401 |
| 2029 | – | $19,402 | $15,977–$23,285 |
| 2030 | – | $19,865 | $15,332–$25,334 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $18,078 |
| Year 2 | $18,509 |
| Year 3 | $18,950 |
| Year 4 | $19,402 |
| 4-year total | $74,939 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $34,939
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $45,858
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $22,252/ yr
- rising 3.9% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $94,385
School’s own published rateResidence hall room and board, cost of attendance.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here has kept rising even while tuition was frozen; the creep moved to room & board.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at University of California-Davis4-year schools with similar prices in California
Closest to University of California-Davis by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Alliant International University-San Diego$17,949
- University of California-Berkeley$18,214
- University of California-Santa Barbara$17,673
- University of California-San Diego$17,633
- Sofia University$18,575
- Minerva University$18,700
- Southern California Seminary$18,720
- University of California-Santa Cruz$17,232
Use this data
Published figures for University of California-Davis from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.