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UC Riverside Southern Illinois University UCSC CSU UC Davis San Jose State Cal State Fullerton San Diego State Cal Poly California State Polytechnic University-Pomona San Francisco State Cal State Long Beach| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | University of California Merced | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
SIUE | UC Merced | ||
| Location | Edwardsville, IL | Merced, CA | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 12,045 | 9,147 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #554 | #542 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | siue.edu | ucmerced.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
SIUE | UC Merced | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $9,576 | $11,834 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $9,576 | $42,611 | ||
| Room & Board | $10,562 | $20,293 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $15,182 | $13,232 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $9,934 | $24,868 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 90% | 81% |
Admission |
SIUE | UC Merced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 8,937 | 67,891 | ||
| Admitted | 8,688 | 26,598 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 97.2% | 39.2% | ||
| Enrolled % | 18.4% | 9.1% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.54 | 3.55 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Easy | Very Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | High | |||
| ACT Range | 20/26 | 19/24 | ||
| SAT Range | 900/1160 | 960/1140 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | ||
| Application Deadline | May 1, 2026 | Nov 30, 2025 |
Academics |
SIUE | UC Merced | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 15:1 | 21:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
SIUE | UC Merced | ||
| Graduation Rate | 52% | 58% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $47,000 | N/A | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 61% | 64% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $21,430 | $19,899 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $221 | $205 |
Diversity |
SIUE | UC Merced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 10% | 5% | ||
| % Women | 15% | 4% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Low | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 73% | 13% | ||
| % Black | 15% | 5% | ||
| % Hispanic | 4% | 48% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 1% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 3% | 4% | ||
| % International | 1% | 5% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 1% | 1% |
Students |
SIUE | UC Merced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 98% | 99% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 2% | 0% | ||
Campus |
SIUE | 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
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (12,045 students vs. 9,147 students)
SIUE vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, SIUE or UC Merced?
- University of California Merced is 23.6% more expensive to attend than SIUE for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $9,576.00)
- Out of state tuition is 345% higher at UC Merced than Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ($42,611.00 vs. $9,576.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than SIUE ($13,232 vs. $15,182)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are 92.1% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($10,562 vs. $20,293)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville than University of California Merced (90% vs. 81%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 150.3% larger than aid received Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ($24,868 vs. $9,934)
SIUE vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, SIUE or UC Merced? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UC Merced or SIUE .
- The average SAT score at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (1070) is 45 points higher than at UC Merced (1025)
- Incoming SIUE students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at UC Merced (23)
- Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at SIUE (3.54)
- SIUE has a higher acceptance rate (97.2%) than UC Merced (39.2%)
SIUE vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, SIUE 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 SIUE.
- The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (58% vs. 52%)
- University of California Merced students graduate with a $1,531 lower median federal student loan debt than SIUE graduates. ($19,899 vs. $21,430)
- UC Merced graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than SIUE graduates. ($205 vs. $221)
- More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SIUE students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 61%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/