CSU vs. UC Merced

Should I go to California State University Chico or University of California Merced? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CSU 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 State University Chico vs. University of California Merced comparison
California State University Chico University of California Merced College 3 College 4
California State University Chico University of California Merced
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Overview

CSU UC Merced
Location Chico, CA Merced, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 14,183 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #659 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csuchico.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

CSU UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $15,212 $19,340
Avg Net Price $15,517 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $9,162 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 83%

Admission

CSU UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,417 29,920
Admitted 20,347 26,766
Acceptance Rate 95% 89.5%
Enrolled % 9.9% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 19/24
SAT Range 970/1170 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 Dec 15, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

CSU UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

CSU UC Merced
Graduation Rate 59% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,400 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $175 $205

Diversity

CSU UC Merced
% Men 45% 51%
% Women 55% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 13%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 29% 48%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 3% 5%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

CSU UC Merced
% In-State 97% 99%
% Out-of-State 2% 0%

Campus

CSU UC Merced
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Chico is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (14,183 students vs. 9,103 students)

CSU vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSU or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 101.4% more expensive to attend than CSU for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UC Merced than California State University Chico ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than CSU ($13,549 vs. $15,517)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Chico are 27.1% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($15,212 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than California State University Chico (83% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 182.3% larger than aid received California State University Chico ($25,868 vs. $9,162)

CSU vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 22 points higher than at CSU (1003)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at CSU (22)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at CSU (3.37)
  • CSU has a higher acceptance rate (95%) than UC Merced (89.5%)

CSU vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CSU 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 CSU.

  • The graduation rate at CSU is higher than University of California Merced (59% vs. 58%)
  • California State University Chico students graduate with a $2,899 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($17,000 vs. $19,899)
  • CSU graduates are paying $30 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($175 vs. $205)
  • More CSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 64%)

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