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UCSC San Diego State UCI UCSD San Jose State ASU CSU UC Davis Cal State Fullerton Cal State Long Beach Cal Poly California State Polytechnic University-Pomona| University of California Merced | University of California Riverside | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
UC Merced | UC Riverside | ||
| Location | Merced, CA | Riverside, CA | ||
| Setting | Rural Fringe | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 9,147 | 26,426 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #542 | #265 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | ucmerced.edu | ucr.edu | ||
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Costs |
UC Merced | UC Riverside | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,834 | $11,834 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $42,611 | $42,611 | ||
| Room & Board | $20,293 | $19,433 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $13,232 | $13,533 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $24,868 | $21,566 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 81% | 70% |
Admission |
UC Merced | UC Riverside | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied | 67,891 | 62,807 | ||
| Admitted | 26,598 | 39,758 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 39.2% | 63.3% | ||
| Enrolled % | 9.1% | 13.9% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.55 | 3.84 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very Easy | Difficult | ||
| Applicant Competition | High | Low | ||
| ACT Range | 19/24 | 22/31 | ||
| SAT Range | 960/1140 | 1080/1280 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | ||
| Application Deadline | Nov 30, 2025 | Nov 30, 2025 |
Academics |
UC Merced | UC Riverside | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 21:1 | 23:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
UC Merced | UC Riverside | ||
| Graduation Rate | 58% | 67% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | N/A | $52,200 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 64% | 65% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $19,899 | $19,109 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $205 | $197 |
Diversity |
UC Merced | UC Riverside | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 5% | 9% | ||
| % Women | 4% | 5% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 13% | 13% | ||
| % Black | 5% | 4% | ||
| % Hispanic | 48% | 36% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 4% | ||
| % International | 5% | 4% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 1% | 1% |
Students |
UC Merced | UC Riverside | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 99% | 95% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 0% | 1% | ||
Campus |
UC Merced | UC Riverside | ||
| 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
- University of California Riverside is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (26,426 students vs. 9,147 students)
UC Merced vs. UC Riverside Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, UC Merced or UC Riverside?
- University of California Merced and UC Riverside cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $11,834.00)
- Out of state tuition is the same at UC Merced as University of California Riverside ($42,611.00 vs. $42,611.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than UC Riverside ($13,232 vs. $13,533)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Riverside are 4.4% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($19,433 vs. $20,293)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than University of California Riverside (81% vs. 70%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 15.3% larger than aid received University of California Riverside ($24,868 vs. $21,566)
UC Merced vs. UC Riverside Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, UC Merced or UC Riverside? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UC Riverside or UC Merced .
- The average SAT score at University of California Riverside (1119) is 94 points higher than at UC Merced (1025)
- Incoming UC Riverside students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at UC Merced (23)
- Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at UC Merced (3.55)
- UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (63.3%) than UC Merced (39.2%)
UC Merced vs. UC Riverside Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, UC Merced or UC Riverside? 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 Riverside and UC Merced.
- The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than University of California Merced (67% vs. 58%)
- University of California Riverside students graduate with a $790 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Merced graduates. ($19,109 vs. $19,899)
- UC Riverside graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than UC Merced graduates. ($197 vs. $205)
- More UC Riverside graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 64%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/