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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 | University of the West | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
UC Merced | UWest | ||
| Location | Merced, CA | Rosemead, CA | ||
| Setting | Rural Fringe | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 9,147 | 154 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #542 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | ucmerced.edu | uwest.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
UC Merced | UWest | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,834 | $13,560 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $42,611 | $13,560 | ||
| Room & Board | $20,293 | $12,760 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $13,232 | $11,137 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $24,868 | $13,807 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 81% | 100% |
Admission |
UC Merced | UWest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 67,891 | 7 | ||
| Admitted | 26,598 | 7 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 39.2% | 100%Open | ||
| Enrolled % | 9.1% | 57.1%Open | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.55 | 2.43 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | C+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very Easy | Unavailable | ||
| Applicant Competition | High | |||
| ACT Range | 19/24 | |||
| SAT Range | 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, 2025 | Jun 15, 2026 |
Academics |
UC Merced | UWest | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 21:1 | 5:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
UC Merced | UWest | ||
| 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 | UWest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 5% | 39% | ||
| % Women | 4% | 27% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 13% | 9% | ||
| % Black | 5% | 2% | ||
| % Hispanic | 48% | 41% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 1% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 3% | ||
| % International | 5% | 34% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 1% | 0% |
Students |
UC Merced | UWest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 99% | 100% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 0% | 0% | ||
Campus |
UC Merced | UWest | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | Yes | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- University of California Merced is larger than than UWest based on total student enrollment (9,147 students vs. 154 students)
UC Merced vs. UWest Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, UC Merced or UWest?
- University of the West is 14.6% more expensive to attend than UC Merced for in-state tuition ($13,560.00 vs. $11,834.00)
- Out of state tuition is 214.2% higher at UC Merced than University of the West ($42,611.00 vs. $13,560.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of the West than UC Merced ($11,137 vs. $13,232)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of the West are 59% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($12,760 vs. $20,293)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University of the West than University of California Merced (100% vs. 81%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 80.1% larger than aid received University of the West ($24,868 vs. $13,807)
UC Merced vs. UWest Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, UC Merced or UWest? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UWest or UC Merced .
- Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 1.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at UWest (2.43)
- UWest has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than UC Merced (39.2%)
UC Merced vs. UWest Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, UC Merced or UWest? 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 UWest and UC Merced.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/