University of West Georgia vs. UC Merced

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

University of West Georgia UC Merced
Location Carrollton, GA Merced, CA
Setting Distant Town Rural Fringe
Enrollment 11,893 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #929 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website westga.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

University of West Georgia UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $4,371 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $15,426 $41,636
Room & Board $11,330 $19,340
Avg Net Price $15,625 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $8,452 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 83%

Admission

University of West Georgia UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,783 29,920
Admitted 3,832 26,766
Acceptance Rate 80.1% 89.5%
Enrolled % 37.2% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/22 19/24
SAT Range 930/1140 960/1140
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jun 1, 2025 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

University of West Georgia UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

University of West Georgia UC Merced
Graduation Rate 39% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,400 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 45% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $258 $205

Diversity

University of West Georgia UC Merced
% Men 32% 51%
% Women 68% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 50% 13%
% Black 39% 5%
% Hispanic 5% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

University of West Georgia UC Merced
% In-State 95% 99%
% Out-of-State 2% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of West Georgia is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (11,893 students vs. 9,103 students)

University of West Georgia vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, University of West Georgia or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 164.6% more expensive to attend than University of West Georgia for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $4,371.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 169.9% higher at UC Merced than University of West Georgia ($41,636.00 vs. $15,426.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than University of West Georgia ($13,549 vs. $15,625)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of West Georgia are 70.7% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($11,330 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of West Georgia than University of California Merced (95% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 206.1% larger than aid received University of West Georgia ($25,868 vs. $8,452)

University of West Georgia vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 80 points higher than at University of West Georgia (945)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at University of West Georgia (20)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at University of West Georgia (3.31)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than University of West Georgia (80.1%)

University of West Georgia vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, University of West Georgia 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 University of West Georgia.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than University of West Georgia (58% vs. 39%)
  • University of California Merced students graduate with a $5,101 lower median federal student loan debt than University of West Georgia graduates. ($19,899 vs. $25,000)
  • UC Merced graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than University of West Georgia graduates. ($205 vs. $258)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former University of West Georgia students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 45%)

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