Merced College vs. Sac City

Comparable Facts

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

Sacramento City College is larger than Merced College based on total student enrollment (19,920 students vs. 12,472 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

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

Merced College vs. Sac City Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merced College or Sac City? 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 Sac City ($6,854 vs. $8,624).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Merced College are 12% lower than at Sacramento City College ($19,432 vs. $22,086).
• Sacramento City College is 7.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than Merced College (about $88 more per year; $1,288.00 vs. $1,200.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 48.1% higher at Sac City than at Merced College (about $4,096 more per year; $12,616.00 vs. $8,520.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Sacramento City College than at Merced College (90% vs. 88%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Merced College students is 20.8% larger than aid received by Sacramento City College students ($7,480 vs. $6,192).

Merced College vs. Sac City Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Merced College or Sac City? 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 Sac City and Merced College.

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

Merced College vs. Sac City Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Merced College and Sac City? 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 Sacramento City College earn a median of about $8,700 more per year than Merced College graduates about ten years after starting college ($39,000 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.