USD vs. UC Merced

Should I go to University of South Dakota 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.

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University of South Dakota vs. University of California Merced comparison
University of South Dakota University of California Merced College 3 College 4
University of South Dakota University of California Merced
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Overview

USD UC Merced
Location Vermillion, SD Merced, CA
Setting Distant Town Rural Fringe
Enrollment 9,856 9,103
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #597 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usd.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USD UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $7,773 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $11,283 $41,636
Room & Board $8,224 $19,340
Avg Net Price $18,378 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $6,308 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 83%

Admission

USD UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,480 29,920
Admitted 4,456 26,766
Acceptance Rate 99.5% 89.5%
Enrolled % 29.8% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.43 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/25 19/24
SAT Range 1020/1300 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 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

USD UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (32%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

USD UC Merced
Graduation Rate 47% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,200 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $258 $205

Diversity

USD UC Merced
% Men 37% 51%
% Women 63% 49%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 85% 13%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 3% 48%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

USD UC Merced
% In-State 54% 99%
% Out-of-State 43% 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 South Dakota is larger than than UC Merced based on total student enrollment (9,856 students vs. 9,103 students)

USD vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USD or UC Merced?

  • University of California Merced is 48.8% more expensive to attend than USD for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $7,773.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 269% higher at UC Merced than University of South Dakota ($41,636.00 vs. $11,283.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than USD ($13,549 vs. $18,378)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Dakota are 135.2% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($8,224 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Merced than University of South Dakota (83% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Merced students is 310.1% larger than aid received University of South Dakota ($25,868 vs. $6,308)

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 South Dakota (1049) is 24 points higher than at UC Merced (1025)
  • Incoming USD students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at UC Merced (23)
  • Accepted freshman UC Merced students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at USD (3.43)
  • USD has a higher acceptance rate (99.5%) than UC Merced (89.5%)

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 UC Merced is higher than University of South Dakota (58% vs. 47%)
  • University of California Merced students graduate with a $5,101 lower median federal student loan debt than USD graduates. ($19,899 vs. $25,000)
  • UC Merced graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than USD graduates. ($205 vs. $258)
  • More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 64%)

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