Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
UC Riverside UCSC CSU UC Davis San Jose State Cal State Fullerton San Diego State San Diego State University-Imperial Valley Campus Cal Poly California State Polytechnic University-Pomona San Francisco State Cal State Long Beach| California State University San Marcos | University of California Merced | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
California State University-San Marcos | UC Merced | ||
| Location | San Marcos, CA | Merced, CA | ||
| Setting | Rural Fringe | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 15,109 | 9,103 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #836 | #605 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | csusm.edu | ucmerced.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
California State University-San Marcos | UC Merced | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $5,742 | $11,564 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $41,636 | ||
| Room & Board | $13,972 | $19,340 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $10,463 | $13,549 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $8,922 | $25,868 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 67% | 83% |
Admission |
California State University-San Marcos | UC Merced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 14,774 | 29,920 | ||
| Admitted | 14,064 | 26,766 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 95.2% | 89.5% | ||
| Enrolled % | 18.1% | 8.9% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.32 | 3.55 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Extremely Easy | Very Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 17/22 | 19/24 | ||
| SAT Range | 950/1130 | 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-San Marcos | UC Merced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 23:1 | 19:1 | ||
| Popular Majors |
|
|
||
Outcomes |
California State University-San Marcos | UC Merced | ||
| Graduation Rate | 49% | 58% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $49,100 | N/A | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 66% | 64% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $17,995 | $19,899 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $186 | $205 |
Diversity |
California State University-San Marcos | UC Merced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 39% | 51% | ||
| % Women | 61% | 49% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 30% | 13% | ||
| % Black | 3% | 5% | ||
| % Hispanic | 42% | 48% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 1% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 6% | 4% | ||
| % International | 2% | 5% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 5% | 1% |
Students |
California State University-San Marcos | UC Merced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 98% | 99% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 1% | 0% | ||
Campus |
California State University-San Marcos | UC Merced | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | No | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- California State University San Marcos is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (15,109 students vs. 9,103 students)
California State University-San Marcos vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, California State University-San Marcos or UC Merced?
- University of California Merced is 101.4% more expensive to attend than California State University-San Marcos 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 San Marcos ($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 San Marcos than UC Merced ($10,463 vs. $13,549)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Marcos are 38.4% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($13,972 vs. $19,340)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than California State University San Marcos (83% vs. 67%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 189.9% larger than aid received California State University San Marcos ($25,868 vs. $8,922)
California State University-San Marcos vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, California State University-San Marcos 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-San Marcos .
- The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 70 points higher than at California State University-San Marcos (955)
- Incoming UC Merced students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at California State University-San Marcos (21)
- Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at California State University-San Marcos (3.32)
- California State University-San Marcos has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than UC Merced (89.5%)
California State University-San Marcos vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, California State University-San Marcos 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-San Marcos.
- The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than California State University San Marcos (58% vs. 49%)
- California State University San Marcos students graduate with a $1,904 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($17,995 vs. $19,899)
- California State University-San Marcos graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans 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 https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/