Merritt College vs. RHC

Should I go to Merritt College or Rio Hondo College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Merritt College or RHC 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.
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Merritt College vs. Rio Hondo College comparison
Merritt College Rio Hondo College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Merritt College RHC
Location Oakland, CA Whittier, CA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 6,514 16,139
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website merritt.edu riohondo.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Merritt College RHC
Tuition (In State) $1,104 $1,316
Tuition (Out of State) $8,472 $9,812
Room & Board $22,066 $17,782
Avg Net Price $17,108 $6,099
Avg Grant Aid $3,350 $5,037
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 80%

Admission

 Merritt College RHC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline Aug 20, 2025

Academics

 Merritt College RHC
Student to Faculty Ratio 26:1 29:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Work and Family Studies (25%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (23%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (21%)
  • Work and Family Studies (19%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Business (9%)

Outcomes

 Merritt College RHC
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,800 $38,500
Making Student Loan Payments 27% 34%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,500 N/A
Median Loan Payment $118 N/A

Diversity

 Merritt College RHC
% Men 37% 58%
% Women 63% 42%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 18% 8%
% Black 28% 2%
% Hispanic 25% 77%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 1%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 6% 5%

Students

 Merritt College RHC
% In-State 84% 99%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

 Merritt College RHC
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Rio Hondo College is larger than than Merritt College based on total student enrollment (16,139 students vs. 6,514 students)

Merritt College vs. RHC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merritt College or RHC?

  • Rio Hondo College is 19.2% more expensive to attend than Merritt College for in-state tuition ($1,316.00 vs. $1,104.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 15.8% higher at RHC than Merritt College ($9,812.00 vs. $8,472.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rio Hondo College than Merritt College ($6,099 vs. $17,108)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rio Hondo College are 24.1% lower than costs at Merritt College ($17,782 vs. $22,066)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rio Hondo College than Merritt College (80% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rio Hondo College students is 50.4% larger than aid received Merritt College ($5,037 vs. $3,350)

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

Merritt College vs. RHC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Merritt College or RHC? 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 RHC and Merritt College.

  • Graduates from Merritt College earn on average $1,300 more per year than RHC graduates after ten years. ($39,800 vs. $38,500)
  • More RHC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Merritt College students, three years after graduation. (34% vs. 27%)

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