CSUDH vs. UC Merced

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA with University of California Merced in Merced, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

California State University Dominguez Hills is larger than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (15,182 students vs. 9,110 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, CA (Small City setting); University of California Merced is in Merced, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• California State University Dominguez Hills is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of California Merced is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California State University Dominguez Hills 21:1; University of California Merced 20:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Dominguez Hills are 14% lower than at University of California Merced ($18,444 vs. $21,445).
• Out-of-state tuition is 148.5% higher at UC Merced than at California State University Dominguez Hills (about $29,774 more per year; $49,823 vs. $20,049).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California State University Dominguez Hills than at University of California Merced (93% vs. 89%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 95.6% larger than aid received by California State University Dominguez Hills students ($27,292 vs. $13,951).

Admissions details

• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both CSUDH and UC Merced.
• Typical fall application deadline: CSUDH Dec 4, 2026; UC Merced Nov 30, 2026.
• Enrolled first-year students at UC Merced average a 3.55 high school GPA, 0.39 higher than at CSUDH (3.16).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 9.3% at CSUDH vs. 7.2% at UC Merced.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University Dominguez Hills graduates have a $5,937 lower median loan debt than UC Merced graduates ($13,962 vs. $19,899).
• Among borrowers, CSUDH graduates have an estimated $61 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than UC Merced graduates ($144 vs. $205).
• More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CSUDH students, three years after graduation (64% vs. 52%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.