Whittier College vs. UC Merced

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

Overview

Whittier College UC Merced
Location Whittier, CA Merced, CA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,192 9,103
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #273 #605
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website whittier.edu ucmerced.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Whittier College UC Merced
Tuition (In State) $48,924 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $48,924 $41,636
Room & Board $15,623 $19,340
Avg Net Price $28,368 $13,549
Avg Grant Aid $34,623 $25,868
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 83%

Admission

Whittier College UC Merced
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,014 29,920
Admitted 2,274 26,766
Acceptance Rate 75.4% 89.5%
Enrolled % 10.9% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 3.55
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/30 19/24
SAT Range 1140/1340 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

Whittier College UC Merced
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Psychology (22%)
  • Biology (21%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)

Outcomes

Whittier College UC Merced
Graduation Rate 55% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,400 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 64%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,500 $19,899
Median Loan Payment $263 $205

Diversity

Whittier College UC Merced
% Men 44% 51%
% Women 56% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 31% 13%
% Black 5% 5%
% Hispanic 44% 48%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 3% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Whittier College UC Merced
% In-State 64% 99%
% Out-of-State 27% 0%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Merced is larger than than Whittier College based on total student enrollment (9,103 students vs. 1,192 students)

Whittier College vs. UC Merced Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Whittier College or UC Merced?

  • Whittier College is 323.1% more expensive to attend than UC Merced for in-state tuition ($48,924.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.5% higher at Whittier College than University of California Merced ($48,924.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Merced than Whittier College ($13,549 vs. $28,368)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Whittier College are 23.8% lower than costs at University of California Merced ($15,623 vs. $19,340)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Whittier College than University of California Merced (100% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Whittier College students is 33.8% larger than aid received University of California Merced ($34,623 vs. $25,868)

Whittier College vs. UC Merced Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Whittier College (1057) is 32 points higher than at UC Merced (1025)
  • Incoming Whittier College students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at UC Merced (23)
  • Accepted freshman Whittier College students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at UC Merced (3.55)
  • UC Merced has a higher acceptance rate (89.5%) than Whittier College (75.4%)

Whittier College vs. UC Merced Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Whittier College 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 Whittier College.

  • The graduation rate at UC Merced is higher than Whittier College (58% vs. 55%)
  • University of California Merced students graduate with a $5,601 lower median federal student loan debt than Whittier College graduates. ($19,899 vs. $25,500)
  • UC Merced graduates are paying $58 less per month on federal student loans than Whittier College graduates. ($205 vs. $263)
  • More Whittier College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Merced students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 64%)

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