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The global leadership of the University of California, Davis, in the fields of veterinary science, and agriculture and forestry continues to be recognized in rankings released today (March 12).

Quacquarelli Symonds, or QS, considered one of the most influential international authorities on university rankings, placed UC Davis second in the world in both subjects in its QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025. The campus was first in the nation in the two subjects.

Since veterinary science was added to the rankings in 2015, UC Davis has been first in the world five times and is No. 2 for a sixth time. The campus was No. 1 in agriculture and forestry in the first three years the subject was ranked and has held the No. 2 spot since 2016. 

UC Davis was ranked 41th in the world in the broad category of the life sciences and medicine. The campus was also recognized in each of the other broad categories of the rankings: engineering and technology, arts and humanities, social sciences and management, and natural sciences.

In addition to being top-ranked in veterinary science and agriculture and forestry, the university had top-50 world rankings in environmental sciences (25th), development studies (34th) and biological sciences (tied for 38th). 

“These rankings highlight that UC Davis is a world leader in veterinary science and agriculture,” said Chancellor Gary S. May. “They also demonstrate that our comprehensive campus provides a world-class education across academic disciplines and conducts impactful research that advances understanding of and solutions to the planet’s most pressing challenges.”

The rankings consider reputation among academics; reputation among employers; the citations and impact of academic papers from a university; and the diversity of a university’s international research network. In all, the 2025 rankings analyzed programs in 55 subjects at 5,200 institutions and ranked programs at 1,748 universities across the world.

The School of Veterinary Medicine has more than 700 students pursuing the doctorate of veterinary medicine and other professional and graduate degrees, and offers the nation’s largest veterinarian house officer program with more than 140 fellows, interns and residents. The school’s hospital treats more than 50,000 patients each year and applies more than $90 million in annual research funding to benefit animal, human and planetary health.

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has more than 7,600 undergraduates in 27 majors and 1,030 graduate students in 22 graduate groups and programs. The college’s researchers receive approximately $169 million in research funding. UC Davis is among the most published and cited U.S. research universities in agricultural sciences, animal science and plant sciences, environment and ecology, food science and nutrition, and soil sciences.

UC Davis and rankings

A world-class university, UC Davis is highly ranked for how it transforms students’ lives, the impact of its research, the excellence of its academic programs, its sustainability and more. The university performs self-evaluations and also appreciates the value of third-party assessments. However, ranking methods vary, change over time and can be subjective. UC Davis focuses on those rankings that most closely align with its mission and values — including serving the public good, inclusiveness and equity, and social mobility — and in national rankings looks most closely at its standing among public universities. UC Davis encourages prospective students and their families to weigh rankings among other factors in their college decision, talk with counselors and UC Davis admissions advisors, and, if possible, visit the campus.