USD vs. Merrimack

Should I go to University of San Diego or Merrimack College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USD or Merrimack 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 San Diego vs. Merrimack College comparison
University of San Diego Merrimack College College 3 College 4
University of San Diego Merrimack College
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Overview

USD Merrimack
Location San Diego, CA North Andover, MA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 8,815 5,505
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sandiego.edu merrimack.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USD Merrimack
Tuition (In State) $53,810 $45,815
Tuition (Out of State) $53,810 $45,815
Room & Board $17,010 $18,295
Avg Net Price $36,008 $37,296
Avg Grant Aid $36,408 $27,729
% Receiving Grant Aid 83% 97%

Admission

USD Merrimack
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,334 13,175
Admitted 7,541 9,833
Acceptance Rate 52.6% 74.6%
Enrolled % 16.4% 12%
Avg High School GPA 3.95 3.3
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Dec 15, 2024 Sep 1, 2024

Academics

USD Merrimack
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

USD Merrimack
Graduation Rate 75% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,200 $58,000
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,904 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $236 $279

Diversity

USD Merrimack
% Men 43% 43%
% Women 57% 57%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 53% 73%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 19% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 1%
% International 7% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 11%

Students

USD Merrimack
% In-State 55% 66%
% Out-of-State 40% 31%

Campus

USD Merrimack
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of San Diego is larger than than Merrimack based on total student enrollment (8,815 students vs. 5,505 students)

USD vs. Merrimack Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USD or Merrimack?

  • University of San Diego is 17.5% more expensive to attend than Merrimack for in-state tuition ($53,810.00 vs. $45,815.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.5% higher at USD than Merrimack College ($53,810.00 vs. $45,815.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of San Diego than Merrimack ($36,008 vs. $37,296)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Diego are 7.6% lower than costs at Merrimack College ($17,010 vs. $18,295)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Merrimack College than University of San Diego (97% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 31.3% larger than aid received Merrimack College ($36,408 vs. $27,729)

USD vs. Merrimack Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman USD students have a 0.65 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Merrimack (3.3)
  • Merrimack has a higher acceptance rate (74.6%) than USD (52.6%)

USD vs. Merrimack Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USD or Merrimack? 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 Merrimack and USD.

  • The graduation rate at USD is higher than Merrimack College (75% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from University of San Diego earn on average $12,200 more per year than Merrimack graduates after ten years. ($70,200 vs. $58,000)
  • University of San Diego students graduate with a $4,096 lower median federal student loan debt than Merrimack graduates. ($22,904 vs. $27,000)
  • USD graduates are paying $43 less per month on federal student loans than Merrimack graduates. ($236 vs. $279)
  • More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Merrimack students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 78%)

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