CSUDH vs. UC Merced

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

 CSUDH UC Merced
Location Carson, CA Merced, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 16,426 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csudh.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 CSUDH UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $16,035 $19,340
Avg Net Price $5,068 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $9,819 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 83%

Admission

 CSUDH UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,165 29,920
Admitted 17,082 26,766
Acceptance Rate 89.1% 89.5%
Enrolled % 12.1% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.16 3.55
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/24
SAT Range 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 4, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 CSUDH UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

 CSUDH UC Merced
Graduation Rate 24% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,800 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $13,962 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $144 $205

Diversity

 CSUDH UC Merced
% Men 38% 51%
% Women 62% 49%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 8% 13%
% Black 13% 5%
% Hispanic 59% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 3% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 CSUDH UC Merced
% In-State 99% 99%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Dominguez Hills is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (16,426 students vs. 9,103 students)

CSUDH vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSUDH or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 101.4% more expensive to attend than CSUDH 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 Dominguez Hills ($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 Dominguez Hills than UC Merced ($5,068 vs. $13,549)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Dominguez Hills are 20.6% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($16,035 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Dominguez Hills than University of California Merced (90% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 163.4% larger than aid received California State University Dominguez Hills ($25,868 vs. $9,819)

CSUDH vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.39 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at CSUDH (3.16)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than CSUDH (89.1%)

CSUDH vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CSUDH 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 CSUDH.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than California State University Dominguez Hills (58% vs. 24%)
  • California State University Dominguez Hills students graduate with a $5,937 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($13,962 vs. $19,899)
  • CSUDH graduates are paying $61 less per month on federal student loans 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 https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/