UWT vs. UC Merced

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

 UWT UC Merced
Location Tacoma, WA Merced, CA
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 4,794 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website washington.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UWT UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $11,189 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $39,687 $41,636
Room & Board $14,220 $19,340
Avg Net Price $10,680 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $12,961 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 83%

Admission

 UWT UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,974 29,920
Admitted 1,744 26,766
Acceptance Rate 88.3% 89.5%
Enrolled % 35.8% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/24 19/24
SAT Range 960/1180 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 Jun 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

 UWT UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • General Studies (48%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (10%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (5%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

 UWT UC Merced
Graduation Rate - 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,800 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $155 $205

Diversity

 UWT UC Merced
% Men 50% 51%
% Women 50% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 43% 13%
% Black 7% 5%
% Hispanic 12% 48%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 2% 1%
% Two or More Races 8% 4%
% International 5% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 UWT UC Merced
% In-State 96% 99%
% Out-of-State 2% 0%

Campus

 UWT UC Merced
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Merced is larger than than UWT based on total student enrollment (9,103 students vs. 4,794 students)

UWT vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UWT or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 3.4% more expensive to attend than UWT for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,189.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.9% higher at UC Merced than University of Washington Tacoma Campus ($41,636.00 vs. $39,687.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Washington Tacoma Campus than UC Merced ($10,680 vs. $13,549)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Washington Tacoma Campus are 36% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($14,220 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than University of Washington Tacoma Campus (83% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 99.6% larger than aid received University of Washington Tacoma Campus ($25,868 vs. $12,961)

UWT vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 59 points higher than at UWT (966)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at UWT (19)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at UWT (3.41)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than UWT (88.3%)

UWT vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UWT 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 UWT.

  • University of Washington Tacoma Campus students graduate with a $4,899 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($15,000 vs. $19,899)
  • UWT graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($155 vs. $205)
  • More UWT 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/