UCI vs. UC Merced

Comparable Facts

Compare University of California Irvine in Irvine, CA with University of California Merced in Merced, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

University of California Irvine is larger than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (37,297 students vs. 9,110 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• University of California Irvine is located in Irvine, CA (Rural Fringe setting); University of California Merced is in Merced, CA (Rural Fringe setting).
• University of California Irvine is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of California Merced is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: University of California Irvine 19:1; University of California Merced 20:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Irvine are 11.4% lower than at University of California Merced ($18,991 vs. $21,445).
• Out-of-state tuition is 0.2% higher at UCI than at University of California Merced (about $99 more per year; $49,922 vs. $49,823).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of California Merced than at University of California Irvine (89% vs. 55%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 18.1% larger than aid received by University of California Irvine students ($27,292 vs. $23,110).

Admissions details

• Typical ACT composite is 8 points higher at UCI than at UC Merced (29 vs. 21, midpoint estimate).
• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both UCI and UC Merced.
• Typical fall application deadline: UCI Nov 30, 2026; UC Merced Nov 30, 2026.
• Enrolled first-year students at UCI average a 3.75 high school GPA, 0.2 higher than at UC Merced (3.55).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 19.2% at UCI vs. 7.2% at UC Merced.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, University of California Irvine graduates have a $2,899 lower median loan debt than UC Merced graduates ($17,000 vs. $19,899).
• Among borrowers, UCI graduates have an estimated $30 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than UC Merced graduates ($175 vs. $205).
• More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation (76% vs. 64%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.