San Jose State vs. UC Merced

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

San Jose State UC Merced
Location San Jose, CA Merced, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 35,751 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #558 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sjsu.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

San Jose State UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $18,568 $19,340
Avg Net Price $14,219 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $9,210 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 83%

Admission

San Jose State UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 34,002 29,920
Admitted 26,083 26,766
Acceptance Rate 76.7% 89.5%
Enrolled % 15.5% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.35 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/26 19/24
SAT Range 1010/1240 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 Dec 15, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

San Jose State UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (30%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

San Jose State UC Merced
Graduation Rate 46% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,900 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $155 $205

Diversity

San Jose State UC Merced
% Men 48% 51%
% Women 52% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 19% 13%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 26% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 6% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

San Jose State UC Merced
% In-State 96% 99%
% Out-of-State 1% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • San Jose State University is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (35,751 students vs. 9,103 students)

San Jose State vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, San Jose State or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 101.4% more expensive to attend than San Jose State for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UC Merced than San Jose State University ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than San Jose State ($13,549 vs. $14,219)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Jose State University are 4.2% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($18,568 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than San Jose State University (83% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 180.9% larger than aid received San Jose State University ($25,868 vs. $9,210)

San Jose State vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at San Jose State University (1055) is 30 points higher than at UC Merced (1025)
  • Incoming San Jose State students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at UC Merced (23)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at San Jose State (3.35)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than San Jose State (76.7%)

San Jose State vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, San Jose State 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 San Jose State.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than San Jose State University (58% vs. 46%)
  • San Jose State University students graduate with a $4,899 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($15,000 vs. $19,899)
  • San Jose State graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($155 vs. $205)
  • More San Jose State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 64%)

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