Menlo vs. USD

Should I go to Menlo College or University of San Diego? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Menlo or USD 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. 

UCSD San Diego State Loyola Marymount Chapman Pepperdine SCU USF USC PLNU UCSB Cal Poly TCU
Menlo College vs. University of San Diego comparison
Menlo College University of San Diego College 3 College 4
University of San Diego
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Menlo USD
Location Atherton, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 800 8,815
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website menlo.edu sandiego.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Menlo USD
Tuition (In State) $48,260 $53,810
Tuition (Out of State) $48,260 $53,810
Room & Board $16,250 $17,010
Avg Net Price $29,151 $36,008
Avg Grant Aid $34,632 $36,408
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 83%

Admission

Menlo USD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,357 14,334
Admitted 2,072 7,541
Acceptance Rate 61.7% 52.6%
Enrolled % 9.8% 16.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.95
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2025 Dec 15, 2024

Academics

Menlo USD
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (67%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Psychology (1%)
  • Business (39%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

Menlo USD
Graduation Rate 34% 75%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,900 $70,200
Making Student Loan Payments 55% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,062 $22,904
Median Loan Payment $217 $236

Diversity

Menlo USD
% Men 56% 43%
% Women 44% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 29% 53%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 22% 19%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 2% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 6%
% International 14% 7%
% Unknown Race 9% 3%

Students

Menlo USD
% In-State 49% 55%
% Out-of-State 22% 40%

Campus

Menlo USD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of San Diego is larger than than Menlo based on total student enrollment (8,815 students vs. 800 students)

Menlo vs. USD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Menlo or USD?

  • University of San Diego is 11.5% more expensive to attend than Menlo for in-state tuition ($53,810.00 vs. $48,260.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.5% higher at USD than Menlo College ($53,810.00 vs. $48,260.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Menlo College than USD ($29,151 vs. $36,008)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Menlo College are 4.7% lower than costs at University of San Diego ($16,250 vs. $17,010)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Menlo College than University of San Diego (100% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 5.1% larger than aid received Menlo College ($36,408 vs. $34,632)

Menlo vs. USD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of San Diego (1236) is 218 points higher than at Menlo (1018)
  • Incoming USD students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Menlo (22)
  • Accepted freshman USD students have a 0.65 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Menlo (3.3)
  • Menlo has a higher acceptance rate (61.7%) than USD (52.6%)

Menlo vs. USD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Menlo or USD? 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 USD and Menlo.

  • The graduation rate at USD is higher than Menlo College (75% vs. 34%)
  • Graduates from University of San Diego earn on average $16,300 more per year than Menlo graduates after ten years. ($70,200 vs. $53,900)
  • Menlo College students graduate with a $1,842 lower median federal student loan debt than USD graduates. ($21,062 vs. $22,904)
  • Menlo graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than USD graduates. ($217 vs. $236)
  • More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Menlo students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 55%)

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