ETSU vs. UC Merced

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

ETSU UC Merced
Location Johnson City, TN Merced, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 13,483 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #652 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website etsu.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ETSU UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $7,722 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $11,532 $41,636
Room & Board $9,613 $19,340
Avg Net Price $14,350 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $8,739 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 83%

Admission

ETSU UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,609 29,920
Admitted 8,193 26,766
Acceptance Rate 85.3% 89.5%
Enrolled % 25.1% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.33 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/26 19/24
SAT Range 980/1190 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

ETSU UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

ETSU UC Merced
Graduation Rate 44% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 50% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $211 $205

Diversity

ETSU UC Merced
% Men 37% 51%
% Women 63% 49%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 82% 13%
% Black 7% 5%
% Hispanic 2% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 3% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

ETSU UC Merced
% In-State 75% 99%
% Out-of-State 23% 0%

Campus

ETSU 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

  • East Tennessee State University is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (13,483 students vs. 9,103 students)

ETSU vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ETSU or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 49.8% more expensive to attend than ETSU for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $7,722.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 261% higher at UC Merced than East Tennessee State University ($41,636.00 vs. $11,532.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than ETSU ($13,549 vs. $14,350)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at East Tennessee State University are 101.2% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($9,613 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at East Tennessee State University than University of California Merced (100% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 196% larger than aid received East Tennessee State University ($25,868 vs. $8,739)

ETSU vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at East Tennessee State University (1068) is 43 points higher than at UC Merced (1025)
  • Incoming ETSU students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at UC Merced (23)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at ETSU (3.33)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than ETSU (85.3%)

ETSU vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ETSU 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 ETSU.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than East Tennessee State University (58% vs. 44%)
  • University of California Merced students graduate with a $601 lower median federal student loan debt than ETSU graduates. ($19,899 vs. $20,500)
  • UC Merced graduates are paying $6 less per month on federal student loans than ETSU graduates. ($205 vs. $211)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ETSU students, three years after graduation. (64% vs. 50%)

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