USF vs. UC Merced

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

USF UC Merced
Location San Francisco, CA Merced, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 9,688 9,103
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #137 #605
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usfca.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USF UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $54,980 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $54,980 $41,636
Room & Board $16,550 $19,340
Avg Net Price $42,953 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $30,916 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 83%

Admission

USF UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 23,103 29,920
Admitted 16,444 26,766
Acceptance Rate 71.2% 89.5%
Enrolled % 9.5% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/31 19/24
SAT Range 1210/1410 960/1140
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2024 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

USF UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

USF UC Merced
Graduation Rate 70% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,400 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $258 $205

Diversity

USF UC Merced
% Men 35% 51%
% Women 65% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 13%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 19% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 1%
% Two or More Races 7% 4%
% International 19% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

USF UC Merced
% In-State 55% 99%
% Out-of-State 34% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of San Francisco is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (9,688 students vs. 9,103 students)

USF vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USF or UC Merced?

  • University of San Francisco is 375.4% more expensive to attend than UC Merced for in-state tuition ($54,980.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 32% higher at USF than University of California Merced ($54,980.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than USF ($13,549 vs. $42,953)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Francisco are 16.9% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($16,550 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Francisco than University of California Merced (96% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Francisco students is 19.5% larger than aid received University of California Merced ($30,916 vs. $25,868)

USF vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of San Francisco (1172) is 147 points higher than at UC Merced (1025)
  • Incoming USF students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at UC Merced (23)
  • Accepted freshman USF students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at UC Merced (3.55)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than USF (71.2%)

USF vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USF 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 USF.

  • The graduation rate at USF is higher than University of California Merced (70% vs. 58%)
  • University of California Merced students graduate with a $5,101 lower median federal student loan debt than USF graduates. ($19,899 vs. $25,000)
  • UC Merced graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than USF graduates. ($205 vs. $258)
  • More USF 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/