UNLV vs. UC Merced

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

UNLV UC Merced
Location Las Vegas, NV Merced, CA
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 30,660 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #609 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website unlv.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UNLV UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $8,159 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $24,701 $41,636
Room & Board $11,512 $19,340
Avg Net Price $13,159 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $6,346 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 83%

Admission

UNLV UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,275 29,920
Admitted 11,325 26,766
Acceptance Rate 85.3% 89.5%
Enrolled % 38.1% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 19/24
SAT Range 1000/1220 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 Jun 1, 2025 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

UNLV UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

UNLV UC Merced
Graduation Rate 40% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,600 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,018 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $196 $205

Diversity

UNLV UC Merced
% Men 43% 51%
% Women 57% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 13%
% Black 8% 5%
% Hispanic 26% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 1%
% Two or More Races 9% 4%
% International 4% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

UNLV UC Merced
% In-State 82% 99%
% Out-of-State 16% 0%

Campus

UNLV 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 Nevada Las Vegas is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (30,660 students vs. 9,103 students)

UNLV vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNLV or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 41.7% more expensive to attend than UNLV for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $8,159.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 68.6% higher at UC Merced than University of Nevada Las Vegas ($41,636.00 vs. $24,701.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Nevada Las Vegas than UC Merced ($13,159 vs. $13,549)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Nevada Las Vegas are 68% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($11,512 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Nevada Las Vegas than University of California Merced (89% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 307.6% larger than aid received University of Nevada Las Vegas ($25,868 vs. $6,346)

UNLV vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 18 points higher than at UNLV (1007)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at UNLV (22)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at UNLV (3.4)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than UNLV (85.3%)

UNLV vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNLV 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 UNLV.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than University of Nevada Las Vegas (58% vs. 40%)
  • University of Nevada Las Vegas students graduate with a $881 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($19,018 vs. $19,899)
  • UNLV graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($196 vs. $205)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNLV students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 52%)

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