San Diego State vs. UC Merced

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

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San Diego State University vs. University of California Merced comparison
San Diego State University University of California Merced College 3 College 4
San Diego State University University of California Merced
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Overview

San Diego State UC Merced
Location San Diego, CA Merced, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 37,402 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #337 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sdsu.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

San Diego State UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $19,714 $19,340
Avg Net Price $13,017 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $9,934 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 43% 83%

Admission

San Diego State UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 77,250 29,920
Admitted 30,331 26,766
Acceptance Rate 39.3% 89.5%
Enrolled % 21.7% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.55
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Very Easy
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 22/29 19/24
SAT Range 1090/1300 960/1140
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

San Diego State UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 25:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

San Diego State UC Merced
Graduation Rate 66% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,400 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,349 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $158 $205

Diversity

San Diego State UC Merced
% Men 42% 51%
% Women 58% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 34% 13%
% Black 4% 5%
% Hispanic 31% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 7% 4%
% International 6% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

San Diego State UC Merced
% In-State 77% 99%
% Out-of-State 21% 0%

Campus

San Diego State UC Merced
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • San Diego State University is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (37,402 students vs. 9,103 students)

San Diego State vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, San Diego State or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 101.4% more expensive to attend than San Diego State for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UC Merced than San Diego State University ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego State University than UC Merced ($13,017 vs. $13,549)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Merced are 1.9% lower than costs at San Diego State University ($19,340 vs. $19,714)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than San Diego State University (83% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 160.4% larger than aid received San Diego State University ($25,868 vs. $9,934)

San Diego State vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at San Diego State University (1130) is 105 points higher than at UC Merced (1025)
  • Incoming San Diego State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at UC Merced (23)
  • Accepted freshman San Diego State students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at UC Merced (3.55)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than San Diego State (39.3%)

San Diego State vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, San Diego State 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 San Diego State.

  • The graduation rate at San Diego State is higher than University of California Merced (66% vs. 58%)
  • San Diego State University students graduate with a $4,550 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($15,349 vs. $19,899)
  • San Diego State graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($158 vs. $205)
  • More San Diego State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 64%)

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