Key differences on Getting in
- 1
U. Houston-Downtown's yield is 13 pts higher than U. California-Merced's
Yield rate - 2
U. Houston-Downtown admits 90% vs. 91% at U. California-Merced
Acceptance rate
Admissions
Getting in, fall 2024
Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.
The funnel
Quad's selectivity
- U. Houston-DowntownOpen
- U. California-MercedAccessible
Men and women
Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.
Test scores
SAT total,
Axis runs 800–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.
ACT composite,
Axis runs 12–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.
Test policy
- U. Houston-DowntownTest-optional
- U. California-MercedTest-blind
How they read a record
U. Houston-Downtown
, GPA, and tests are all very important; class rank is important. 20% of first-years had a 3.75 or higher.
U. California-Merced
GPA, the high school record, and a college-prep program are required.
What they look at
| Factor | U. Houston-Downtown | U. California-Merced |
|---|---|---|
| High school GPA | Very important | Required |
| High school record | Required | Required |
| Class rank | Important | Not considered |
| College-prep program | Required | Required |
| Recommendations | Not considered | Not considered |
| Essay | Not considered | Required |
| Legacy status | Not considered | Not considered |
| Work experience | Not considered | Considered |
| Demonstration of competencies | Not considered | Not considered |
| English proficiency test | Required | Required |
| Other tests | Not considered | Not considered |
Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)
Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why