California College of the Arts vs. UC Merced

Should I go to California College of the Arts or University of California Merced? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California College of the Arts or UC Merced is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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California College of the Arts vs. University of California Merced comparison
California College of the Arts University of California Merced College 3 College 4
California College of the Arts University of California Merced
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Overview

California College of the Arts UC Merced
Location Oakland, CA Merced, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,501 9,103
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cca.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California College of the Arts UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $53,856 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $53,856 $41,636
Room & Board $19,957 $19,340
Avg Net Price $47,862 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $27,563 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 83%

Admission

California College of the Arts UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,987 29,920
Admitted 2,261 26,766
Acceptance Rate 75.7% 89.5%
Enrolled % 8.4% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.34 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/24
SAT Range 960/1140
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024

Academics

California College of the Arts UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (77%)
  • Architecture (11%)
  • Communications Technology (4%)
  • Communication (4%)
  • English and Literature (2%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

California College of the Arts UC Merced
Graduation Rate 49% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,500 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,000 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $289 $205

Diversity

California College of the Arts UC Merced
% Men 35% 51%
% Women 65% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 13%
% Black 4% 5%
% Hispanic 14% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 1%
% Two or More Races 0% 4%
% International 31% 5%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

California College of the Arts UC Merced
% In-State 42% 99%
% Out-of-State 20% 0%

Campus

California College of the Arts UC Merced
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Merced is larger than than California College of the Arts based on total student enrollment (9,103 students vs. 1,501 students)

California College of the Arts vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California College of the Arts or UC Merced?

  • California College of the Arts is 365.7% more expensive to attend than UC Merced for in-state tuition ($53,856.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.3% higher at California College of the Arts than University of California Merced ($53,856.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than California College of the Arts ($13,549 vs. $47,862)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Merced are 3.2% lower than costs at California College of the Arts ($19,340 vs. $19,957)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California College of the Arts than University of California Merced (91% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California College of the Arts students is 6.6% larger than aid received University of California Merced ($27,563 vs. $25,868)

California College of the Arts vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California College of the Arts or UC Merced? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UC Merced or California College of the Arts .

  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at California College of the Arts (3.34)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than California College of the Arts (75.7%)

California College of the Arts vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California College of the Arts or UC Merced? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UC Merced and California College of the Arts.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than California College of the Arts (58% vs. 49%)
  • University of California Merced students graduate with a $8,101 lower median federal student loan debt than California College of the Arts graduates. ($19,899 vs. $28,000)
  • UC Merced graduates are paying $84 less per month on federal student loans than California College of the Arts graduates. ($205 vs. $289)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California College of the Arts students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 62%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/