UCSB or UC Davis?

I’m really torn between these two schools. I got enough financial aid that both would cost about the same to me so it really just depends which ones best. I really like the Davis vibe and how it’s sports are more hyped, yet it’s farther from home. On the other hand ucsb seems to have a great social scene and would only be a few hours away from home from me. Does anyone have any factors I should think about? Or what opinions do you have in these schools? I’m currently undeclared in both

Do your potential majors require a high GPA or competitive admission at one school but not the other? If so, you may want to prefer the school where your potential majors are not or less impacted/competitive.

Well I’m thinking about going pre med so I’d most likely major in biology. I think both schools are fairly even in competition though. Both schools also seem to have the same amount of pre med students. UC Davis may have some more if anything

Pre-med courses will have a competitive atmosphere. However, you do not have to major in biology to do pre-med, even though the pre-med courses are mostly a subset of the biology major.

UC Davis has a better reputation IMO.

UCSB doesn’t have a ‘better’ social life, I think that depends on how much you like to party. It has a more crazy one because every weekend Isla Vista is a party and it’s just too much for me.

Yeah that’s true, just figured biology would be best because it is used a lot like you said. I just figure that either school will be just as competitive gpa wise

yeah I’ve heard that there’s always parties going. How would you compare that to the social scene at Davis though?

My friends that went there seemed to have a lot of fun. Students on colleges.niche.com who reviewed it seemed to give it a decent rating.

https://www.niche.com/colleges/university-of-california----davis/

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At the same time, UCSB is nicer if you like doing out-doorsy things when you hang out.

Oh ok so it must be pretty good there too. Yeah I really like the outdoors. To be honest, I haven’t visited either yet, but I thought Davis would be better for that haha.

@11d85b: You really need to visit since both are completely different in the terms of campus “vibe” and location. Both will give you an excellent education, but also consider a backup plan if Medical school does not happen. A Biology degree does not have good job prospects.

I disagree that Davis has a “better” reputation.

Santa Barbara has SIX Nobel Prize winners. Davis? Hmmm… not.
Santa Barbara’s elite College of Creative Studies attracts some of the top students from California.
And in fact, overall Santa Barbara is ranked higher than Davis in US News and World Report.

I don’t place much stock in US News rankings considering it’s mostly peer review and acceptance rates.

UC Davis has a better ROI than UCSB does - if we’re using rankings.
http://www.payscale.com/college-roi?page=94

But I agee visit if you can

Do visit. My liked one and disliked the other even though both were ranked about the same for his major. I was surprised because I thought both campuses were great.

For outdoor stuff, both campuses are fabulous. UCSB’s beachfront location is impossible to beat but Davis is very bike friendly and its proximity to the Sierra foothills makes for great hiking and whitewater activities. There is regular bus service to the Tahoe ski areas (and an easy drive if you have a car).

UCD its better for your major and you would be going to a new place instead of UCSB which is a couple more hours away from your house. UCD is a fun school and since their basketball team got into the NCAA tournament you can see their sports culture is going to get better as time goes on. So for you I’d choose UCD as its better for your major and also has a great social scene

^UCD is not “better” for biology/pre-med. They are equivalent.

If you wanna force yourself to study harder in college go to Davis. SB is known to be a party school out of the uc. But in my opinion you pay tuition for your college for education, social life, friends, and experience. Im not saying Davis is bad social life, but yes of course sb will offer more social life and stuff.
Davis is known to be a better school tho, and I think it offers a better education value there.
Also you said you like sb cuz its closer to your house, but consider this. College is gonna be your first step out of your confort zone, and its something you gotta adapt towards. You should think its good experience to go somewhere farther.
If I were you, I will go to Davis

Both great schools! I went to UCSB and absolutely loved it! I had friends at Davis and they had a great college experience as well. They’re very comparable in a lot of ways, however I would make sure to visit both and choose the school you feel fits you better. One thing of note, you mentioned sports being a draw at UCD (which I’m sure they have good school spirit there too), but I wouldn’t say their school spirit is superior to UCSB. Men’s soccer games hold a record for attendance. They sell out and are crazy fun! Basketball games too! I transferred from USC and had no idea how strong the school spirit at SB was! It was such a nice surprise! When you tour SB, make sure to spend time in Isla Vista, the adjacent college town where most students live year 2-4. You have two excellent choices! Best of luck!

Thank you everyone for all the input and advice! I am definitely taking it all into consideration. I am on my way to visit both right now and hopefully it will make my decision easier. Thank again! If you have anything else please comment.

Enjoy the visits and let us know what you decide.