One of several highly ranked public universities in the Golden State, the University of California, Davis — sometimes called a “Public Ivy” college — has made a name for itself as an affordable school that produces results.
Students can earn undergraduate degrees in about 100 majors, and UC Davis is particularly known for its agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine programs. And with its robust financial aid, families with incomes under $100,000 pay no tuition. Plus, its Equitable Access program provides undergraduate students with access to their textbooks by the first day of class for a flat fee of $169 per quarter.
The university is home to a dairy center, meat-processing lab and 100-acre arboretum. Its department of enology and viticulture offers a major and an online winemaking certificate program. And students can even take entry-level brewing classes or earn a master's in brewing science.
When they're not hard at work, many students are cheering the 35 NCAA Division I sports teams alongside the Aggie Pack, the biggest student-run college spirit group in the country. Students can also hang out at the aquatic center, complete with a sand volleyball court and two pools, or they have a load of other options across the 5,300-acre campus.
