California State University-San Bernardino vs. UC Merced

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

California State University-San Bernardino UC Merced
Location San Bernardino, CA Merced, CA
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 19,803 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #902 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csusb.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-San Bernardino UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $13,779 $19,340
Avg Net Price $8,805 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $9,871 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 83%

Admission

California State University-San Bernardino UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,501 29,920
Admitted 14,119 26,766
Acceptance Rate 91.1% 89.5%
Enrolled % 16.5% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 15/20 19/24
SAT Range 910/1080 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

California State University-San Bernardino UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

California State University-San Bernardino UC Merced
Graduation Rate 45% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,800 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,500 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $170 $205

Diversity

California State University-San Bernardino UC Merced
% Men 37% 51%
% Women 63% 49%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 14% 13%
% Black 6% 5%
% Hispanic 61% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 7% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

California State University-San Bernardino UC Merced
% In-State 98% 99%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

California State University-San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (19,803 students vs. 9,103 students)

California State University-San Bernardino vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-San Bernardino or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 101.4% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino ($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 San Bernardino than UC Merced ($8,805 vs. $13,549)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Bernardino are 40.4% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($13,779 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University San Bernardino than University of California Merced (86% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 162.1% larger than aid received California State University San Bernardino ($25,868 vs. $9,871)

California State University-San Bernardino vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 138 points higher than at California State University-San Bernardino (887)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at California State University-San Bernardino (18)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at California State University-San Bernardino (3.41)
  • California State University-San Bernardino has a higher acceptance rate (91.1%) than UC Merced (89.5%)

California State University-San Bernardino vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California State University-San Bernardino 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 State University-San Bernardino.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than California State University San Bernardino (58% vs. 45%)
  • California State University San Bernardino students graduate with a $3,399 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($16,500 vs. $19,899)
  • California State University-San Bernardino graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($170 vs. $205)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Bernardino students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 51%)

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