DVC vs. Merced College

Deciding between Diablo Valley College and Merced College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • DVC Pleasant Hill, CA
  • Merced College Merced, CA
  • Setting
  • DVC Large Suburban
  • Merced College Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • DVC 17,228
  • Merced College 12,472
  • Type
  • DVC Public 2 Year
  • Merced College Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • DVC
  • Merced College
  • Religious Affiliation
  • DVC -
  • Merced College -
  • Status
  • DVC Non-profit
  • Merced College Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • DVC
  • Merced College

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • DVC $1,312
  • Merced College $1,200
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • DVC $10,320
  • Merced College $8,520
  • Room & Board
  • DVC $23,238
  • Merced College $19,432
  • Average Net Price
  • DVC $11,001
  • Merced College $6,854
  • Average Grant Aid
  • DVC $4,441
  • Merced College $7,480
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • DVC 61%
  • Merced College 88%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • DVC -
  • Merced College -
  • Admitted
  • DVC -
  • Merced College -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • DVC Open
  • Merced College Open
  • Enrolled
  • DVC Open
  • Merced College Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • DVC
  • Merced College
  • Typical ACT score
  • DVC
  • Merced College
  • Average High School GPA
  • DVC -
  • Merced College -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • DVC -
  • Merced College -
  • Admissions Standards
  • DVC Unavailable
  • Merced College Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • DVC
  • Merced College
  • ACT Range
  • DVC
  • Merced College
  • SAT Range
  • DVC
  • Merced College
  • Submit Test Scores
  • DVC Open admission
  • Merced College Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • DVC
  • Merced College

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • DVC 25:1
  • Merced College 28:1
  • Popular Majors
  • DVC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (17%)
    • Work and Family Studies (14%)
    • Business (11%)
    • Health Professions (11%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Merced College
    • Health Professions (23%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (15%)
    • Business (13%)
    • Social Sciences (10%)
    • Psychology (8%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • DVC -
  • Merced College -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • DVC $44,800
  • Merced College $30,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • DVC 52%
  • Merced College -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • DVC N/A
  • Merced College N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • DVC N/A
  • Merced College N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • DVC 49%
  • Merced College 41%
  • % Women
  • DVC 51%
  • Merced College 59%
  • Racial Diversity
  • DVC Very High
  • Merced College High
  • HBCU
  • DVC No
  • Merced College No
  • % White
  • DVC 38%
  • Merced College 22%
  • % Asian
  • DVC 15%
  • Merced College 10%
  • % Black
  • DVC 5%
  • Merced College 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • DVC 23%
  • Merced College 59%
  • % Native American
  • DVC 0%
  • Merced College 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • DVC 0%
  • Merced College 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • DVC 8%
  • Merced College 3%
  • % International
  • DVC 9%
  • Merced College 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • DVC 1%
  • Merced College 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • DVC 90%
  • Merced College 98%
  • % Out-of-State
  • DVC 0%
  • Merced College 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • DVC No
  • Merced College No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • DVC No
  • Merced College No
  • Meal Plan
  • DVC No
  • Merced College No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • DVC Yes
  • Merced College Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • DVC Yes
  • Merced College Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, CA with Merced College in Merced, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Diablo Valley College is larger than Merced College based on total student enrollment (17,228 students vs. 12,472 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Diablo Valley College is located in Pleasant Hill, CA (Large Suburban setting); Merced College is in Merced, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
  • Diablo Valley College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Merced College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Diablo Valley College 25:1; Merced College 28:1.

DVC vs. Merced College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, DVC 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 Merced College than DVC ($6,854 vs. $11,001).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Merced College are 16.4% lower than at Diablo Valley College ($19,432 vs. $23,238).
  • Diablo Valley College is 9.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than Merced College (about $112 more per year; $1,312.00 vs. $1,200.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 21.1% higher at DVC than at Merced College (about $1,800 more per year; $10,320.00 vs. $8,520.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Merced College than at Diablo Valley College (88% vs. 61%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Merced College students is 68.4% larger than aid received by Diablo Valley College students ($7,480 vs. $4,441).

DVC vs. Merced College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, DVC 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 DVC.

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

DVC vs. Merced College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for DVC 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 Diablo Valley College earn a median of about $14,500 more per year than Merced College graduates about ten years after starting college ($44,800 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.