UC Davis vs. UC Merced

Should I go to University of California Davis or University of California Merced? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Davis 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UCSD UC Riverside UCSB UCI UCSC UC Berkeley UW-Seattle Cal Poly UCLA CSU San Jose State SCU
University of California Davis vs. University of California Merced comparison
University of California Davis University of California Merced College 3 College 4
University of California Davis University of California Merced
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UC Davis UC Merced
Location Davis, CA Merced, CA
Setting Small Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 39,679 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #92 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdavis.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Davis UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,692 $19,340
Avg Net Price $17,385 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $20,548 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 83%

Admission

UC Davis UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 94,747 29,920
Admitted 35,377 26,766
Acceptance Rate 37.3% 89.5%
Enrolled % 18.1% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.55
Typical High School Grades A/A+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very Easy
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 25/33 19/24
SAT Range 1160/1400 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 Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

UC Davis UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

UC Davis UC Merced
Graduation Rate 82% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,200 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,676 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $151 $205

Diversity

UC Davis UC Merced
% Men 41% 51%
% Women 59% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 28% 13%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 19% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 11% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

UC Davis UC Merced
% In-State 75% 99%
% Out-of-State 7% 0%

Campus

UC Davis 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 California Davis is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (39,679 students vs. 9,103 students)

UC Davis vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or UC Merced?

  • University of California Davis and UC Merced cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UC Davis as University of California Merced ($41,636.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than UC Davis ($13,549 vs. $17,385)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Davis are 9.3% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($17,692 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than University of California Davis (83% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 25.9% larger than aid received University of California Davis ($25,868 vs. $20,548)

UC Davis vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Davis (1226) is 201 points higher than at UC Merced (1025)
  • Incoming UC Davis students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UC Merced (23)
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.45 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UC Merced (3.55)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than UC Davis (37.3%)

UC Davis vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Davis 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 UC Davis.

  • The graduation rate at UC Davis is higher than University of California Merced (82% vs. 58%)
  • University of California Davis students graduate with a $5,223 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($14,676 vs. $19,899)
  • UC Davis graduates are paying $54 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($151 vs. $205)
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 64%)

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