San Francisco State vs. UC Merced

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

Add a college to compare up to four schools
San Francisco State University vs. University of California Merced comparison
San Francisco State University University of California Merced College 3 College 4
San Francisco State University University of California Merced
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

San Francisco State UC Merced
Location San Francisco, CA Merced, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 25,282 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #789 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sfsu.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

San Francisco State UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $17,955 $19,340
Avg Net Price $13,267 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $9,830 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 83%

Admission

San Francisco State UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 29,932 29,920
Admitted 28,195 26,766
Acceptance Rate 94.2% 89.5%
Enrolled % 11.8% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/23 19/24
SAT Range 930/1130 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 Francisco State UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

San Francisco State UC Merced
Graduation Rate 46% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,600 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,250 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $178 $205

Diversity

San Francisco State UC Merced
% Men 43% 51%
% Women 57% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 21% 13%
% Black 5% 5%
% Hispanic 29% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 6% 5%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

San Francisco State UC Merced
% In-State 96% 99%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

San Francisco 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 Francisco State University is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (25,282 students vs. 9,103 students)

San Francisco State vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

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

  • University of California Merced is 101.4% more expensive to attend than San Francisco 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 Francisco 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 Francisco State University than UC Merced ($13,267 vs. $13,549)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Francisco State University are 7.7% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($17,955 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than San Francisco State University (83% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 163.2% larger than aid received San Francisco State University ($25,868 vs. $9,830)

San Francisco State vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, San Francisco 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 Francisco State .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 46 points higher than at San Francisco State (979)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at San Francisco State (21)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at San Francisco State (3.31)
  • San Francisco State has a higher acceptance rate (94.2%) than UC Merced (89.5%)

San Francisco State vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, San Francisco 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 Francisco State.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than San Francisco State University (58% vs. 46%)
  • San Francisco State University students graduate with a $2,649 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($17,250 vs. $19,899)
  • San Francisco State graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($178 vs. $205)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Francisco State students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 63%)

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