Florida A&M vs. UC Merced

Should I go to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University or University of California Merced? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Florida A&M 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UC Riverside UCSC CSU UC Davis San Jose State Cal State Fullerton San Diego State Cal Poly California State Polytechnic University-Pomona San Francisco State Cal State Long Beach Sacramento State
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University vs. University of California Merced comparison
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University University of California Merced College 3 College 4
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University University of California Merced
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Florida A&M UC Merced
Location Tallahassee, FL Merced, CA
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 9,265 9,147
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #817 #542
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website famu.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Florida A&M UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $3,152 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $14,524 $42,611
Room & Board $11,644 $20,293
Avg Net Price $15,491 $13,232
Avg Grant Aid $8,704 $24,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 81%

Admission

 Florida A&M UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,713 67,891
Admitted 4,797 26,598
Acceptance Rate 21.1% 39.2%
Enrolled % 29% 9.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.65 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition Very High High
ACT Range 20/24 19/24
SAT Range 1030/1150 960/1140
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline May 1, 2026 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

 Florida A&M UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

 Florida A&M UC Merced
Graduation Rate 40% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,600 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 32% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,500 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $294 $205

Diversity

 Florida A&M UC Merced
% Men 5% 5%
% Women 11% 4%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Very High
HBCU Yes No
% White 3% 13%
% Black 91% 5%
% Hispanic 2% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Florida A&M UC Merced
% In-State 64% 99%
% Out-of-State 34% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (9,265 students vs. 9,147 students)

Florida A&M vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Florida A&M or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 275.4% more expensive to attend than Florida A&M for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $3,152.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 193.4% higher at UC Merced than Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University ($42,611.00 vs. $14,524.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than Florida A&M ($13,232 vs. $15,491)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University are 74.3% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($11,644 vs. $20,293)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (81% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 185.7% larger than aid received Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University ($24,868 vs. $8,704)

Florida A&M vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 59 points higher than at Florida A&M (966)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Florida A&M (21)
  • Accepted freshman Florida A&M students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.65) than students at UC Merced (3.55)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (39.2%) than Florida A&M (21.1%)

Florida A&M vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Florida A&M 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 Florida A&M .

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (58% vs. 40%)
  • University of California Merced students graduate with a $8,601 lower median federal student loan debt than Florida A&M graduates. ($19,899 vs. $28,500)
  • UC Merced graduates are paying $89 less per month on federal student loans than Florida A&M graduates. ($205 vs. $294)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Florida A&M students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 32%)

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