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UC Riverside UCSC Old Dominion CSU UC Davis San Jose State Cal State Fullerton San Diego State Cal Poly Longwood University California State Polytechnic University-Pomona San Francisco State| Radford University | University of California Merced | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
RU | UC Merced | ||
| Location | Radford, VA | Merced, CA | ||
| Setting | Distant Town | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 7,718 | 9,103 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #566 | #605 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | radford.edu | ucmerced.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
RU | UC Merced | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $8,156 | $11,564 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $20,246 | $41,636 | ||
| Room & Board | $10,567 | $19,340 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $17,105 | $13,549 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $9,733 | $25,868 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 96% | 83% |
Admission |
RU | UC Merced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 11,442 | 29,920 | ||
| Admitted | 10,680 | 26,766 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 93.3% | 89.5% | ||
| Enrolled % | 11.5% | 8.9% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.31 | 3.55 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very Easy | Very Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 19/23 | 19/24 | ||
| SAT Range | 960/1160 | 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 |
RU | UC Merced | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 12:1 | 19:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
RU | UC Merced | ||
| Graduation Rate | 56% | 58% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $47,400 | N/A | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 70% | 64% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $23,000 | $19,899 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $237 | $205 |
Diversity |
RU | UC Merced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 33% | 51% | ||
| % Women | 67% | 49% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Low | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 71% | 13% | ||
| % Black | 13% | 5% | ||
| % Hispanic | 7% | 48% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 1% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 4% | ||
| % International | 1% | 5% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 1% | 1% |
Students |
RU | UC Merced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 89% | 99% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 11% | 0% | ||
Campus |
RU | UC Merced | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- University of California Merced is larger than than RU based on total student enrollment (9,103 students vs. 7,718 students)
RU vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, RU or UC Merced?
- University of California Merced is 41.8% more expensive to attend than RU for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $8,156.00)
- Out of state tuition is 105.7% higher at UC Merced than Radford University ($41,636.00 vs. $20,246.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than RU ($13,549 vs. $17,105)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Radford University are 83% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($10,567 vs. $19,340)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Radford University than University of California Merced (96% vs. 83%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 165.8% larger than aid received Radford University ($25,868 vs. $9,733)
RU vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, RU or UC Merced? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UC Merced or RU .
- Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at RU (3.31)
- RU has a higher acceptance rate (93.3%) than UC Merced (89.5%)
RU vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, RU 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 RU.
- The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than Radford University (58% vs. 56%)
- University of California Merced students graduate with a $3,101 lower median federal student loan debt than RU graduates. ($19,899 vs. $23,000)
- UC Merced graduates are paying $32 less per month on federal student loans than RU graduates. ($205 vs. $237)
- More RU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 64%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/