USD vs. UC Merced

Should I go to University of San Diego or University of California Merced? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USD 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UCSD San Diego State Loyola Marymount UC Riverside Chapman UCSC Pepperdine SCU USF CSU UC Davis San Jose State
University of San Diego vs. University of California Merced comparison
University of San Diego University of California Merced College 3 College 4
University of San Diego University of California Merced
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

USD UC Merced
Location San Diego, CA Merced, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 8,815 9,103
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #605
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sandiego.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USD UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $53,810 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $53,810 $41,636
Room & Board $17,010 $19,340
Avg Net Price $36,008 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $36,408 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 83% 83%

Admission

USD UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,334 29,920
Admitted 7,541 26,766
Acceptance Rate 52.6% 89.5%
Enrolled % 16.4% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.95 3.55
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Very Easy
Applicant Competition Low
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 Dec 15, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

USD UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

USD UC Merced
Graduation Rate 75% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,200 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,904 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $236 $205

Diversity

USD UC Merced
% Men 43% 51%
% Women 57% 49%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 53% 13%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 19% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 7% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

USD UC Merced
% In-State 55% 99%
% Out-of-State 40% 0%

Campus

USD 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

  • University of California Merced is larger than than USD based on total student enrollment (9,103 students vs. 8,815 students)

USD vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USD or UC Merced?

  • University of San Diego is 365.3% more expensive to attend than UC Merced for in-state tuition ($53,810.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.2% higher at USD than University of California Merced ($53,810.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than USD ($13,549 vs. $36,008)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Diego are 13.7% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($17,010 vs. $19,340)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at University of San Diego as University of California Merced (83% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 40.7% larger than aid received University of California Merced ($36,408 vs. $25,868)

USD vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of San Diego (1236) is 211 points higher than at UC Merced (1025)
  • Incoming USD students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UC Merced (23)
  • Accepted freshman USD students have a 0.4 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at UC Merced (3.55)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than USD (52.6%)

USD vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USD 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 USD.

  • The graduation rate at USD is higher than University of California Merced (75% vs. 58%)
  • University of California Merced students graduate with a $3,005 lower median federal student loan debt than USD graduates. ($19,899 vs. $22,904)
  • UC Merced graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than USD graduates. ($205 vs. $236)
  • More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 64%)

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