NSU vs. UC Merced

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

NSU UC Merced
Location Tahlequah, OK Merced, CA
Setting Remote Town Rural Fringe
Enrollment 6,702 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #933 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website nsuok.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

NSU UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $6,285 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $15,270 $41,636
Room & Board $8,292 $19,340
Avg Net Price $9,669 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $8,528 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 83%

Admission

NSU UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,674 29,920
Admitted 1,665 26,766
Acceptance Rate 99.5% 89.5%
Enrolled % 42.5% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.49 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/23 19/24
SAT Range 875/1130 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

NSU UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (22%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

NSU UC Merced
Graduation Rate 26% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,000 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $186 $205

Diversity

NSU UC Merced
% Men 35% 51%
% Women 65% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 50% 13%
% Black 4% 5%
% Hispanic 5% 48%
% Native American 19% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 17% 4%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

NSU UC Merced
% In-State 91% 99%
% Out-of-State 8% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Merced is larger than than NSU based on total student enrollment (9,103 students vs. 6,702 students)

NSU vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, NSU or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 84% more expensive to attend than NSU for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $6,285.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 172.7% higher at UC Merced than Northeastern State University ($41,636.00 vs. $15,270.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northeastern State University than UC Merced ($9,669 vs. $13,549)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northeastern State University are 133.2% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($8,292 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Northeastern State University than University of California Merced (96% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 203.3% larger than aid received Northeastern State University ($25,868 vs. $8,528)

NSU vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Merced (1025) is 37 points higher than at NSU (988)
  • Incoming UC Merced students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at NSU (21)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at NSU (3.49)
  • NSU has a higher acceptance rate (99.5%) than UC Merced (89.5%)

NSU vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, NSU 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 NSU.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than Northeastern State University (58% vs. 26%)
  • Northeastern State University students graduate with a $1,899 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($18,000 vs. $19,899)
  • NSU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($186 vs. $205)
  • More UC Merced graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NSU 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/