UCI vs. UC Merced

Should I go to University of California Irvine or University of California Merced? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI 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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University of California Irvine vs. University of California Merced comparison
University of California Irvine University of California Merced College 3 College 4
University of California Irvine University of California Merced
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Overview

UCI UC Merced
Location Irvine, CA Merced, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 35,937 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #91 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCI UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,699 $19,340
Avg Net Price $14,033 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $17,411 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 83%

Admission

UCI UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 119,191 29,920
Admitted 25,212 26,766
Acceptance Rate 21.2% 89.5%
Enrolled % 22.5% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.55
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very Easy
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 26/33 19/24
SAT Range 1230/1430 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

UCI UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

UCI UC Merced
Graduation Rate 85% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $175 $205

Diversity

UCI UC Merced
% Men 45% 51%
% Women 55% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 13%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 25% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 16% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

UCI UC Merced
% In-State 81% 99%
% Out-of-State 7% 0%

Campus

UCI 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

  • University of California Irvine is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (35,937 students vs. 9,103 students)

UCI vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or UC Merced?

  • University of California Irvine and UC Merced cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UCI as University of California Merced ($41,636.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than UCI ($13,549 vs. $14,033)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Irvine are 9.3% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($17,699 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than University of California Irvine (83% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 48.6% larger than aid received University of California Irvine ($25,868 vs. $17,411)

UCI vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Irvine (1175) is 150 points higher than at UC Merced (1025)
  • Incoming UCI students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UC Merced (23)
  • Accepted freshman UCI students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at UC Merced (3.55)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than UCI (21.2%)

UCI vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI 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 UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than University of California Merced (85% vs. 58%)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $2,899 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($17,000 vs. $19,899)
  • UCI graduates are paying $30 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($175 vs. $205)
  • More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 64%)

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