Sacramento State vs. UC Merced

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

Sacramento State UC Merced
Location Sacramento, CA Merced, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 31,818 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #850 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csus.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Sacramento State UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $16,278 $19,340
Avg Net Price $11,596 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $9,590 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 83%

Admission

Sacramento State UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,276 29,920
Admitted 23,559 26,766
Acceptance Rate 93.2% 89.5%
Enrolled % 16.6% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/23 19/24
SAT Range 930/1130 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 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

Sacramento State UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

Sacramento State UC Merced
Graduation Rate 42% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,750 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $162 $205

Diversity

Sacramento State UC Merced
% Men 43% 51%
% Women 57% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 29% 13%
% Black 6% 5%
% Hispanic 29% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 1%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 6% 1%

Students

Sacramento State UC Merced
% In-State 98% 99%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

Sacramento State 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 Sacramento is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (31,818 students vs. 9,103 students)

Sacramento State vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Sacramento State or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 101.4% more expensive to attend than Sacramento State 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 Sacramento ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Sacramento than UC Merced ($11,596 vs. $13,549)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Sacramento are 18.8% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($16,278 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than California State University Sacramento (83% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 169.7% larger than aid received California State University Sacramento ($25,868 vs. $9,590)

Sacramento State vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 77 points higher than at Sacramento State (948)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Sacramento State (20)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Sacramento State (3.42)
  • Sacramento State has a higher acceptance rate (93.2%) than UC Merced (89.5%)

Sacramento State vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Sacramento State 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 Sacramento State.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than California State University Sacramento (58% vs. 42%)
  • California State University Sacramento students graduate with a $4,149 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($15,750 vs. $19,899)
  • Sacramento State graduates are paying $43 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($162 vs. $205)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Sacramento State students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 64%)

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