Biology/Life Sciences

UC Davis

Department: Biology
Degree: PhD
Location: Davis, CA

Stipend

$38,088 to $50,220/yr Estimated

University-wide range, not confirmed for this department · Paid over 12 months · 2026-2027 · Fall 2026 scale, effective Oct 2026 · Underlying university-wide figure is official

Estimated: our estimate, not a published figure · Source: UAW 4811 ASE Salary Scales (UC-UAW contract scale through 2029) · Verified 2026-09-28

Cost of living in Davis, CA

City-median rent is a city-level figure, not a near-campus price; university graduate housing lines are the university's own published rates. Each line is labeled with its own source.

Rent, 1-bedroom (university graduate housing, single occupant) $1,926/mo Official Orchard Park studio. 2026-27. Source: UC Davis Housing: Orchard Park leases · Verified 2026-09-29
Rent, 1-bedroom (city median) $1,697/mo Estimated City median 1BR Source: Zumper city median asking rent (Sept 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
Rent, 2-bedroom split two ways (university graduate housing, shared, per person) $1,208 to $1,374/mo Official Orchard Park private bedroom per person: 4-bedroom $1,208; 2-bedroom $1,374. 2026-27. Furnished; utilities and Wi-Fi included; $250 deposit. Source: UC Davis Housing: Orchard Park leases · Verified 2026-09-29
Rent, 2-bedroom split two ways (city median) $1,046/mo Estimated City median 2BR, split two ways Source: Zumper city median asking rent (Sept 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
Utilities (nearest-metro stand-in) $279/mo Estimated Nearest-metro proxy (Sacramento). No Numbeo figure for this town; Sacramento stand-in. Excludes internet. Source: Numbeo (Americas table, Sept 27 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
Public transit $2/ride Official Unitrans: graduate students pay per ride or buy a pass. Free for undergraduates only. UC graduate employees may get a transit allowance (double-match up to $30/mo). Source: Unitrans: fares and paid passes · Verified 2026-09-27
Parking Not yet available
Groceries (state-level estimate) $375/mo Estimated State-level estimate (California). About $4,500/yr, single adult; not a city basket. Source: MIT Living Wage food cost via Bankrate · Verified 2026-09-27

About this department

Summaries are paraphrased from the department's own pages. Individual faculty are not listed here; use the official directory.

Confirm deadlines on the department's own page before applying.

Department Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Group Official Source: bmcdb.ucdavis.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
Degrees offered
- PhD (MS Plan I/II earnable en route
- only PhD applications accepted)
Official
Source: bmcdb.ucdavis.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
Overview An interdisciplinary graduate group spanning biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell and developmental biology, with faculty drawn from more than 30 UC Davis departments. Students study basic biological questions from the organismal to the molecular level, in model systems from yeast to mammals. Official Source: bmcdb.ucdavis.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
Research areas
- Biochemistry
- Molecular biology
- Cell biology
- Developmental biology
Official
Source: grad.ucdavis.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
Faculty Faculty directory (official) Official Source: bmcdb.ucdavis.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
PhD funding (department statement) No stipend guarantee after a student joins a lab. Rotation students receive $11,000 per quarter (fall 2025 and winter 2026 rate) plus tuition, fees and health insurance if needed. The graduate group recommends a minimum stipend of $45,000 per year (effective October 1, 2025). Working at least 25% FTE as a GSR or TA provides tuition and fee remission. Official Source: bmcdb.ucdavis.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
PhD application deadline December 1, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time Official Deadlines vary by department. This date is for Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Group. Confirm on the official admissions page. The program FAQ states the year (2026); the Graduate Studies program page also lists December 1, 2026 for general admission. Late letters and transcripts have a 48-hour grace period. Source: bmcdb.ucdavis.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
GRE policy BMCDB does not require GRE scores. Official Source: bmcdb.ucdavis.edu · Verified 2026-10-21
Application requirements
- Materials required by UC Davis Graduate Studies only
- unofficial transcript accepted at application
- three letters of recommendation (two or more missing letters means no review)
- statements should explain how prerequisite knowledge was gained.
Official
Source: bmcdb.ucdavis.edu · Verified 2026-10-21

Master's tuition

Published tuition (before any aid). PhD students usually have tuition waived; their offer letter confirms. This is not part of the stipend-versus-cost-of-living comparison.

Master's tuition at UC Davis Not yet available