California State University-Fresno vs. UC Merced

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

California State University-Fresno UC Merced
Location Fresno, CA Merced, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 23,999 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #891 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csufresno.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-Fresno UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $11,080 $19,340
Avg Net Price $7,507 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $9,968 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 83%

Admission

California State University-Fresno UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,551 29,920
Admitted 17,703 26,766
Acceptance Rate 95.4% 89.5%
Enrolled % 19.5% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.12 3.55
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/21 19/24
SAT Range 890/1100 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 Dec 15, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

California State University-Fresno UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

California State University-Fresno UC Merced
Graduation Rate 49% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,500 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $155 $205

Diversity

California State University-Fresno UC Merced
% Men 40% 51%
% Women 60% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 21% 13%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 48% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 5% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

California State University-Fresno UC Merced
% In-State 97% 99%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

California State University-Fresno 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

  • California State University Fresno is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (23,999 students vs. 9,103 students)

California State University-Fresno vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Fresno or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 101.4% more expensive to attend than California State University-Fresno for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UC Merced than California State University Fresno ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Fresno than UC Merced ($7,507 vs. $13,549)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Fresno are 74.5% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($11,080 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Fresno than University of California Merced (85% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 159.5% larger than aid received California State University Fresno ($25,868 vs. $9,968)

California State University-Fresno vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 128 points higher than at California State University-Fresno (897)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at California State University-Fresno (19)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.43 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at California State University-Fresno (3.12)
  • California State University-Fresno has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than UC Merced (89.5%)

California State University-Fresno vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California State University-Fresno 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 California State University-Fresno.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than California State University Fresno (58% vs. 49%)
  • California State University Fresno students graduate with a $4,899 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($15,000 vs. $19,899)
  • California State University-Fresno graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($155 vs. $205)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Fresno students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 63%)

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