UC Merced vs. UWest

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

UC Merced UWest
Location Merced, CA Rosemead, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 9,103 164
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucmerced.edu uwest.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Merced UWest
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $12,912
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $12,912
Room & Board $19,340 $9,656
Avg Net Price $13,549 $19,028
Avg Grant Aid $25,868 $8,190
% Receiving Grant Aid 83% 80%

Admission

UC Merced UWest
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 29,920 23
Admitted 26,766 18
Acceptance Rate 89.5% 78.3%Open
Enrolled % 8.9% 27.8%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.55 2.43
Typical High School Grades B+ C+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/24
SAT Range 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 Nov 30, 2023 Jun 15, 2024

Academics

UC Merced UWest
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Business (56%)
  • English and Literature (33%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%)

Outcomes

UC Merced UWest
Graduation Rate 58% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 64% -
Median Student Loan Debt $19,899 N/A
Median Loan Payment $205 N/A

Diversity

UC Merced UWest
% Men 51% 47%
% Women 49% 53%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 9%
% Black 5% 2%
% Hispanic 48% 41%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 5% 34%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

UC Merced UWest
% In-State 99% 100%
% Out-of-State 0% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Merced is larger than than UWest based on total student enrollment (9,103 students vs. 164 students)

UC Merced vs. UWest Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Merced or UWest?

  • University of the West is 11.7% more expensive to attend than UC Merced for in-state tuition ($12,912.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 222.5% higher at UC Merced than University of the West ($41,636.00 vs. $12,912.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than UWest ($13,549 vs. $19,028)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of the West are 100.3% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($9,656 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than University of the West (83% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 215.8% larger than aid received University of the West ($25,868 vs. $8,190)

UC Merced vs. UWest Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 1.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at UWest (2.43)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than UWest (78.3%)

UC Merced vs. UWest Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Merced or UWest? 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 UWest and UC Merced.

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