California State University-Northridge vs. UC Merced

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

Overview

California State University-Northridge UC Merced
Location Northridge, CA Merced, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 37,579 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #900 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csun.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-Northridge UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $11,848 $19,340
Avg Net Price $8,936 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $10,511 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 83%

Admission

California State University-Northridge UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,965 29,920
Admitted 23,687 26,766
Acceptance Rate 91.2% 89.5%
Enrolled % 21% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.38 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/22 19/24
SAT Range 900/1110 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

California State University-Northridge UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

California State University-Northridge UC Merced
Graduation Rate 46% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,500 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,196 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $146 $205

Diversity

California State University-Northridge UC Merced
% Men 44% 51%
% Women 56% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 23% 13%
% Black 5% 5%
% Hispanic 44% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 9% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

California State University-Northridge UC Merced
% In-State 96% 99%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

California State University-Northridge 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 Northridge is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (37,579 students vs. 9,103 students)

California State University-Northridge vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

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

  • University of California Merced is 101.4% more expensive to attend than California State University-Northridge 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 Northridge ($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 Northridge than UC Merced ($8,936 vs. $13,549)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Northridge are 63.2% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($11,848 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than California State University Northridge (83% vs. 82%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 146.1% larger than aid received California State University Northridge ($25,868 vs. $10,511)

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

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Northridge 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-Northridge .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 123 points higher than at California State University-Northridge (902)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at California State University-Northridge (19)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at California State University-Northridge (3.38)
  • California State University-Northridge has a higher acceptance rate (91.2%) than UC Merced (89.5%)

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

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

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than California State University Northridge (58% vs. 46%)
  • California State University Northridge students graduate with a $5,703 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($14,196 vs. $19,899)
  • California State University-Northridge graduates are paying $59 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($146 vs. $205)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Northridge students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 59%)

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