Quad
U. California-Merced
U. Houston-Downtown

Key differences on Students & campus

  1. 1

    U. Houston-Downtown is a bit larger (12,555 vs. 8,372)

    Undergrads
  2. 2

    U. California-Merced has 5 pts more first-gen students than U. Houston-Downtown (57% vs. 53%)

    First-generation students
  3. 3

    U. California-Merced has 4 pts more Pell recipients than U. Houston-Downtown (59% vs. 55%)

    Pell Grant recipients

Students

Students & campus

Who's on each campus, how many get Pell Grants or are the first in their family, and campus life.

Who's on campus

Undergrads
U. California-Merced8.4K
U. Houston-Downtown12.6K
Pell Grant share
U. California-Merced59%
U. Houston-Downtown55%
First-gen share
U. California-Merced57%
U. Houston-Downtown53%
Diversity index
U. California-Merced0.62
U. Houston-Downtown0.60

Who they are

Men
U. California-Merced55%
U. Houston-Downtown38%
Part-time students
U. California-Merced2%
U. Houston-Downtown53%
Students 25 and older
U. California-Merced2%
U. Houston-Downtown42%

Race & ethnicity

U. California-Merced
U. Houston-Downtown
  • White
  • Asian
  • Hispanic/Latino
  • Black
  • Two or more
  • International
  • Other/unknown

Where they're from

First-years from in state
U. California-Merced98%
U. Houston-Downtown99%
First-years from other states
U. California-Merced1%
U. Houston-Downtown1%
First-years from abroad
U. California-Merced2%
U. Houston-Downtown1%
New transfer students this fall
U. California-Merced225
U. Houston-Downtown2,156
Transfers, share of new undergraduates
U. California-Merced10%
U. Houston-Downtown65%

Campus

U. California-Merced
Midsize suburbNAIA · California Pacific ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research
U. Houston-Downtown
Large cityNo college housingROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research

LGBTQ+ policies

Each item is dated: either the college's own page, checked on that date, or a national list's claim, read on that date — never a plain “yes” or “no.” A key missing for a college isn't shown as “no”: nothing was found for it.

PolicyU. California-MercedU. Houston-Downtown
Nondiscrimination policy covers gender identity or expressionNondiscrimination policy covers gender identity or expression: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)Nondiscrimination policy covers gender identity or expression: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)
Gender-inclusive housingGender-inclusive housing: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)–
Chosen name and pronouns on campus recordsChosen name and pronouns on campus records: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)–
Gender-inclusive restrooms listed onlineGender-inclusive restrooms listed online: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)–
Student health plan covers transition-related careStudent health plan covers transition-related care: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)–

All student numbers in the table

Sources:College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level), Fall 2024;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About 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