California State University-San Marcos vs. UC Merced

Comparable Facts

Compare California State University San Marcos in San Marcos, 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 San Marcos is larger than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (16,237 students vs. 9,110 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California State University San Marcos is located in San Marcos, CA (Rural Fringe setting); University of California Merced is in Merced, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• California State University San Marcos 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 San Marcos 24:1; University of California Merced 20:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 34% lower than at University of California Merced ($14,152 vs. $21,445).
• Out-of-state tuition is 140.9% higher at UC Merced than at California State University San Marcos (about $29,141 more per year; $49,823 vs. $20,682).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of California Merced than at California State University San Marcos (89% vs. 71%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 145.4% larger than aid received by California State University San Marcos students ($27,292 vs. $11,123).

Admissions details

• Typical ACT composite is 2 points higher at UC Merced than at California State University-San Marcos (21 vs. 19, midpoint estimate).
• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both California State University-San Marcos and UC Merced.
• Typical fall application deadline: California State University-San Marcos Nov 30, 2026; UC Merced Nov 30, 2026.
• Enrolled first-year students at UC Merced average a 3.55 high school GPA, 0.23 higher than at California State University-San Marcos (3.32).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 14% at California State University-San Marcos vs. 7.2% at UC Merced.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, California State University San Marcos graduates have a $1,904 lower median loan debt than UC Merced graduates ($17,995 vs. $19,899).
• Among borrowers, California State University-San Marcos graduates have an estimated $19 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than UC Merced graduates ($186 vs. $205).
• More California State University-San Marcos graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation (66% vs. 64%).

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