Cerritos College vs. Merced College

Comparable Facts

Compare Cerritos College in Norwalk, CA with Merced College in Merced, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Cerritos College is larger than Merced College based on total student enrollment (21,859 students vs. 12,472 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Cerritos College is located in Norwalk, CA (Small City setting); Merced College is in Merced, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• Cerritos College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Merced College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Cerritos College 26:1; Merced College 28:1.

Cerritos College vs. Merced College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cerritos College or Merced College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cerritos College than Merced College ($4,325 vs. $6,854).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Merced College are 12% lower than at Cerritos College ($19,432 vs. $22,088).
• Cerritos College is 13.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Merced College (about $164 more per year; $1,364.00 vs. $1,200.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 40.9% higher at Cerritos College than at Merced College (about $3,484 more per year; $12,004.00 vs. $8,520.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Cerritos College than at Merced College (89% vs. 88%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Merced College students is 26.2% larger than aid received by Cerritos College students ($7,480 vs. $5,925).

Cerritos College vs. Merced College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cerritos College or Merced College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Merced College and Cerritos College.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Cerritos College - Open admission; Merced College - Open admission.

Cerritos College vs. Merced College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Cerritos College and Merced College? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Graduates from Cerritos College earn a median of about $4,700 more per year than Merced College graduates about ten years after starting college ($35,000 vs. $30,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.