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UC Riverside 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 Sacramento State| University of California Merced | Purdue University Northwest | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
UC Merced | Purdue Northwest | ||
| Location | Merced, CA | Hammond, Indiana | ||
| Setting | Rural Fringe | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 9,147 | 8,679 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #542 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | ucmerced.edu | pnw.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
UC Merced | Purdue Northwest | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,834 | $7,594 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $42,611 | $14,795 | ||
| Room & Board | $20,293 | $9,097 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $13,232 | $9,637 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $24,868 | $6,420 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 81% | 85% |
Admission |
UC Merced | Purdue Northwest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 67,891 | 6,394 | ||
| Admitted | 26,598 | 4,516 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 39.2% | 70.6% | ||
| Enrolled % | 9.1% | 26.4% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.55 | 3.19 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very Easy | Very Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | High | Low | ||
| ACT Range | 19/24 | 16/25 | ||
| SAT Range | 960/1140 | 920/1140 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Nov 30, 2025 | Aug 1, 2026 |
Academics |
UC Merced | Purdue Northwest | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 21:1 | 17:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
UC Merced | Purdue Northwest | ||
| Graduation Rate | 58% | - | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | N/A | N/A | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 64% | - | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $19,899 | N/A | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $205 | N/A |
Diversity |
UC Merced | Purdue Northwest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 5% | 4% | ||
| % Women | 4% | 5% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | - | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 13% | 0% | ||
| % Black | 5% | 0% | ||
| % Hispanic | 48% | 0% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 0% | ||
| % International | 5% | 0% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 1% | 0% |
Students |
UC Merced | Purdue Northwest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 99% | 80% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 0% | 14% | ||
Campus |
UC Merced | Purdue Northwest | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | |||
| Meal Plan | Yes | No | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | Yes | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | |||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- University of California Merced is larger than than Purdue Northwest based on total student enrollment (9,147 students vs. 8,679 students)
UC Merced vs. Purdue Northwest Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, UC Merced or Purdue Northwest?
- University of California Merced is 55.8% more expensive to attend than Purdue Northwest for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $7,594.00)
- Out of state tuition is 188% higher at UC Merced than Purdue University Northwest ($42,611.00 vs. $14,795.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Purdue University Northwest than UC Merced ($9,637 vs. $13,232)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Purdue University Northwest are 123.1% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($9,097 vs. $20,293)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Purdue University Northwest than University of California Merced (85% vs. 81%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 287.4% larger than aid received Purdue University Northwest ($24,868 vs. $6,420)
UC Merced vs. Purdue Northwest Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, UC Merced or Purdue Northwest? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Purdue Northwest or UC Merced .
- Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.36 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Purdue Northwest (3.19)
- Purdue Northwest has a higher acceptance rate (70.6%) than UC Merced (39.2%)
UC Merced vs. Purdue Northwest Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, UC Merced or Purdue Northwest? 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 Purdue Northwest and UC Merced.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/