Programs & majors brief
University of California-Davis Majors & Programs
Which majors earn the most at UC Davis?
73 of 73 programs shown
Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.
Compare all matching programs
| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | 119 | $145,422 | #11 |
| Engineering, General small degree count | 14 | $114,228 | — |
| Chemical Engineering | 62 | $102,649 | #32 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 166 | $102,161 | #22 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 107 | $98,504 | #23 |
| Civil Engineering | 127 | $95,939 | #14 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 68 | $93,414 | #33 |
| Materials Engineering | 24 | $89,983 | #17 |
| Statistics | 239 | $88,033 | #17 |
| Biotechnology | 66 | $87,406 | #1 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 596 | $86,155 | #22 |
| Economics | 559 | $83,248 | #64 |
| Physics | 58 | $78,569 | #31 |
| Genetics | 108 | $77,411 | #1 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 87 | $74,343 | #5 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | 62 | $73,595 | #8 |
| Chemistry | 70 | $73,365 | #26 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 20 | $73,337 | #8 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 293 | $72,778 | #15 |
| Mathematics | 97 | $72,640 | #70 |
| Plant Sciences | 26 | $72,335 | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 222 | $70,754 | #13 |
| Food Science and Technology | 63 | $70,571 | #10 |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | 34 | $69,702 | — |
| Cognitive Science | 188 | $68,463 | #10 |
| Biology, General | 418 | $68,120 | #35 |
| Political Science and Government | 330 | $67,759 | #63 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 121 | $67,056 | #28 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 111 | $66,461 | #9 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 227 | $65,983 | #12 |
| Applied Mathematics | 107 | $65,508 | #19 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 136 | $64,519 | #6 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 519 | $63,720 | #7 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | 23 | $63,567 | #3 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 244 | $62,209 | #18 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 31 | $62,011 | #6 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 40 | $60,939 | #3 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 116 | $60,797 | #27 |
| Religion/Religious Studies small degree count | 8 | $59,448 | — |
| Sociology | 291 | $59,171 | #29 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 187 | $59,012 | #28 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 167 | $58,670 | #8 |
| Philosophy | 52 | $58,633 | #23 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 44 | $58,443 | #17 |
| Agricultural Production Operations | 28 | $58,236 | #5 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 69 | $57,999 | #6 |
| History | 115 | $57,734 | #44 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 924 | $57,378 | #17 |
| Anthropology | 101 | $56,836 | #13 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 21 | $56,823 | #2 |
| Animal Sciences | 368 | $48,441 | #22 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | 100 | $46,209 | #5 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 67 | $40,453 | #131 |
| International Agriculture small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Agricultural Business and Management small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Forestry small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Area Studies | 20 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Computer Science | 402 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 94 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 33 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | 22 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biochemical Engineering small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 350 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 64 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 43 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Botany/Plant Biology small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Marine Sciences | 20 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Science, Technology and Society small degree count | 18 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Classical and Ancient Studies small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Music small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings
What are the largest programs at UC Davis?
Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions
The largest program records at University of California-Davis, by reported degrees awarded, are: Research and Experimental Psychology (924 awards); Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (596 awards); Economics (559 awards); Neurobiology and Neurosciences (519 awards); Biology, General (418 awards). These counts describe degree output in the source reporting period, not current enrollment or unique people.
Among those larger programs, reported median earnings four years after completion include Research and Experimental Psychology at $57,378; Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods at $86,155; Economics at $83,248. Program size and earnings answer different questions; the largest program need not have the highest earnings.
How do UC Davis majors rank nationally?
University of California-Davis’s national program ranks compare each field with the same field at other institutions in Azimuth’s ranking data. For example, a Computer Science rank compares programs in Computer Science, while a Biology rank compares programs in Biology.
A lower rank number indicates a higher position within that field; comparing the numbers across different fields does not tell you which major will pay more or suit you better.
These are Azimuth program-value rankings. The source orders programs by its composite program-value measure, so this view answers a different question from the highest-earning majors section.
A field can report lower earnings than another University of California-Davis field while holding a stronger position against its own national competitors. Read its national position alongside the earnings and degree counts to understand both the comparison with other schools and the scale of the program at University of California-Davis.
National program rankings
- Genetics#1
- Biotechnology#1
- Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft#2
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics#3
- Pharmacology and Toxicology#3
- Agricultural Production Operations#5
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management#5
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology#5
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology#6
- Nutrition Sciences#6
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts#6
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences#7
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies#8
- Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences#8
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration#8
- Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences#9
- Food Science and Technology#10
- Cognitive Science#10
- Computer Engineering#11
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research#12
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology#13
- Anthropology#13
- Civil Engineering#14
- Communication and Media Studies#15
- Materials Engineering#17
- Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services#17
- Statistics#17
- Research and Experimental Psychology#17
- Design and Applied Arts#18
- Applied Mathematics#19
- Animal Sciences#22
- Mechanical Engineering#22
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods#22
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering#23
- Philosophy#23
- Chemistry#26
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics#27
- English Language and Literature, General#28
- International Relations and National Security Studies#28
- Sociology#29
- Physics#31
- Chemical Engineering#32
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering#33
- Biology, General#35
- History#44
Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.
The list includes University of California-Davis programs ranked in the national top 50 for their field. If fewer than ten qualify, it adds the largest remaining programs with a reported national rank, using degrees awarded to select them, until the list reaches ten or no ranked programs remain.
These additions broaden the comparison to larger University of California-Davis programs; they are not necessarily ranked in the national top 50.
Further analysis
A student's return at University of California-Davis depends heavily on the program they choose. The university has 53 programs with published earnings data, and 49 carry an Azimuth national rank.
The degree mix is concentrated in the sciences. Biological Sciences accounts for 17.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Social Sciences at 14.6% and Psychology at 9.6%.
Research and Experimental Psychology is the largest single program, at 924 degrees a year. Azimuth ranks it #17 nationally and #3 in California, with graduates earning $57,378.
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft shows the strongest return on the page: a national rank of #2 and earnings of $56,823, or 1.43x the national median for the field.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Four-year earnings are measured after completion for the covered federally aided cohort of people working and not enrolled. Measures taken six, eight or ten years after entry use a different starting point and should not be treated as one graduating class followed over time.
Program award counts describe credentials awarded, not current enrollment, unique graduates or earnings-sample size. Reporting periods differ across measures; the shared field definitions do not establish the exact vintage of every school-level value.