Colorado Mesa vs. UC Merced

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

 Colorado Mesa UC Merced
Location Grand Junction, CO Merced, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 8,905 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #886 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mesastate.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Colorado Mesa UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $8,261 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $21,983 $41,636
Room & Board $11,522 $19,340
Avg Net Price $15,085 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $9,209 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 83%

Admission

 Colorado Mesa UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,810 29,920
Admitted 8,021 26,766
Acceptance Rate 81.8% 89.5%
Enrolled % 21.8% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.28 3.55
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25 19/24
SAT Range 930/1180 960/1140
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 Colorado Mesa UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

 Colorado Mesa UC Merced
Graduation Rate 25% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,750 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $224 $205

Diversity

 Colorado Mesa UC Merced
% Men 47% 51%
% Women 53% 49%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 70% 13%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 17% 48%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Colorado Mesa UC Merced
% In-State 83% 99%
% Out-of-State 16% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Merced is larger than than Colorado Mesa based on total student enrollment (9,103 students vs. 8,905 students)

Colorado Mesa vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colorado Mesa or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 40% more expensive to attend than Colorado Mesa for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $8,261.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 89.4% higher at UC Merced than Colorado Mesa University ($41,636.00 vs. $21,983.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than Colorado Mesa ($13,549 vs. $15,085)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Colorado Mesa University are 67.9% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($11,522 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Colorado Mesa University than University of California Merced (87% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 180.9% larger than aid received Colorado Mesa University ($25,868 vs. $9,209)

Colorado Mesa vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 73 points higher than at Colorado Mesa (952)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Colorado Mesa (20)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Colorado Mesa (3.28)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than Colorado Mesa (81.8%)

Colorado Mesa vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Colorado Mesa 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 Colorado Mesa.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than Colorado Mesa University (58% vs. 25%)
  • University of California Merced students graduate with a $1,851 lower median federal student loan debt than Colorado Mesa graduates. ($19,899 vs. $21,750)
  • UC Merced graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Colorado Mesa graduates. ($205 vs. $224)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Colorado Mesa students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 48%)

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