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Everything we have for U. California-Merced and California State University-Northridge, grouped like the topic pages. Differences only hides the rows where they match or only one reports.
Every row, including ones where these colleges match.
| Metric | U. California-Merced | California State University-Northridge |
|---|---|---|
| Getting in | ||
| Admissions data | Fall 2024 | Fall 2024 |
| Acceptance rate | 91% | 93% |
| Acceptance rate, men / women | 90% / 91% | 93% / 94% |
| Acceptance rate, in-state / other states / international | Not published | Not published |
| Yield, in-state / other states / international | Not published | Not published |
| Applicants | 31,928 | 33,005 |
| Admitted | 28,906 | 30,842 |
| Enrolled | 2,093 | 5,543 |
| Yield | 7% | 18% |
| SAT middle 50% | – | – |
| ACT middle 50% | – | – |
| Sent an SAT | – | – |
| Sent an ACT | – | – |
| Scored 1400+ on the SAT | – | – |
| Scored 30+ on the ACT | – | – |
| Admission: High school GPA | Required | Required |
| Admission: High school record | Required | Required |
| Admission: Class rank | Not considered | Not considered |
| Admission: College-prep program | Required | Required |
| Admission: Recommendations | Not considered | Not considered |
| Admission: Essay | Required | Not considered |
| Admission: Legacy status | Not considered | Not considered |
| Admission: Work experience | Considered | Not considered |
| Admission: Demonstration of competencies | Not considered | Not considered |
| Admission: English proficiency test | Required | Required |
| Admission: Other tests | Not considered | Not considered |
| Average high school GPA | – | – |
| First-years in the top tenth of their class | – | – |
| Early decision | – | – |
| Early action | – | – |
| Wait list | – | – |
| Admission: Rigor of high school record | – | – |
| Admission: Test scores | – | – |
| Admission: Interview | – | – |
| Admission: Extracurricular activities | – | – |
| Admission: Talent or ability | – | – |
| Admission: Character and personal qualities | – | – |
| Admission: First generation | – | – |
| Admission: Geographic residence | – | – |
| Admission: State residency | – | – |
| Admission: Religious affiliation | – | – |
| Admission: Volunteer work | – | – |
| Admission: Demonstrated interest | – | – |
| Test policy | Test-blind | Test-blind |
| Application fee | $80 | $70 |
| Credit for AP exams | Yes | Yes |
| Transfer acceptance rate | – | – |
| Students & campus | ||
| Setting | Suburb: Midsize | City: Large |
| Carnegie class | Mixed Baccalaureate | Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Master's Large/Medium |
| Research activity | R1: very high research | Research college or university |
| Student access & earnings | Opportunity Colleges and Universities: Higher Access, Higher Earnings | Higher Access, Medium Earnings |
| HBCU, tribal, land-grant | Land-grant | None |
| Minority-serving, single-sex | Hispanic-Serving, AANAPISI | Hispanic-Serving |
| Religious affiliation | None | None |
| Athletics | NAIA | Division I, no football |
| Conference | California Pacific Conference | Big West Conference |
| ROTC | Air Force | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered | Offered |
| Undergraduate research program | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar | Semesters | Semesters |
| Undergrads | 8,372 | 32,691 |
| Beds in college housing | 4,341 | 3,253 |
| First-years must live on campus | No | No |
| Men in a fraternity | – | – |
| Women in a sorority | – | – |
| Fraternity/sorority housing | – | – |
| Greek councils present | Panhellenic sororities (NPC), Interfraternity (NIC and IFC)October 2026 | Panhellenic sororities (NPC), Interfraternity (NIC and IFC)October 2026 |
| Pell Grant | 59% | 56% |
| First-gen | 57% | 54% |
| Men / women | 55% / 45% | 47% / 53% |
| Part-time students | 2% | 16% |
| Students 25 and older | 2% | 20% |
| First-years from in state | 98% | 97% |
| First-years from other states | 1% | 1% |
| First-years from abroad | 2% | 2% |
| New transfer students this fall | 225 | 4,338 |
| Transfers, share of new undergraduates | 10% | 44% |
| Diversity index | 0.62 | 0.62 |
| Academics | ||
| Students per faculty member | 20 to 1 | 25 to 1 |
| Classes under 20 students | – | – |
| Full-time faculty share | 93% | 43% |
| Average faculty salary | $133,623 | $112,088 |
| Bachelor's degrees awarded | 1,682 | 8,037 |
| Most popular majors | Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 19% · Biology/Biological Sciences, General 17% · Computer Engineering, General 12% | Business Administration and Management, General 15% · Psychology, General 12% · Radio and Television 6% |
| Instruction spending per student | $12,647 (public, GASB accounting) | $8,003 (public, GASB accounting) |
| Endowment per student | $3,508 (public, GASB accounting) | $7,553 (public, GASB accounting) |
| Tuition share of core revenue | 19% | 19% |
| Cost & aid | ||
| Average cost, all students (est.) | $16,772 | $14,207 |
| Aid generosity (grants ÷ full price) | 59% | 43% |
| Net price, students with grants | $13,690 | $7,536 |
| Sticker price, in-state | $40,685 | $24,271 |
| Sticker price, out-of-state | $71,462 | $36,151 |
| Tuition guarantee | No | No |
| Promise program | Yes | No |
| Tuition & fees, in-state | $14,167 | $7,095 |
| Tuition & fees, out-of-state | $44,944 | $18,975 |
| First-years paying out-of-state rates | 1% | 5% |
| First-years with grants | 89% | 83% |
| Average grant | $27,292 | $12,825 |
| Aid from the college | 84% | 64% |
| Need-based aid up to | Published data end at $110K | Published data end at $110K |
| Merit for students without need | – | – |
| Published promise | – | – |
| Aid forms | – | – |
| Aid priority date or deadline | – | – |
| Need met, first-years | – | – |
| Average aid package, first-years | – | – |
| College grant dollars given as merit | – | – |
| Aid for international students | – | – |
| Outcomes | ||
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $64,368 | $59,115 |
| Graduation rate | 72% | 71% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients | 68% | 55% |
| Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan | 69% | 61% |
| Pell graduation gap | 1 pts lower | 6 pts lower |
| Finished within 4 years: Pell recipients | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: all first-time full-time | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: Pell recipients | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: all first-time full-time | Not published | Not published |
| Graduated in 6 years, White students | 67% | 69% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Asian students | 75% | 70% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Hispanic/Latino students | 67% | 54% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Black students | 67% | 55% |
| Graduated in 6 years, students of two or more races | 71% | 56% |
| Graduated in 6 years, international students | 69% | 49% |
| Retention rate | 82% | 73% |
| Credential within 4 years, all students | 47% | 51% |
| Credential within 8 years, all students | 70% | 72% |
| Enrolled at another college, 8 years on | 12% | 13% |
| Median debt | $16,144 | $13,872 |
| Undergrads with a federal loan | 29% | 21% |
| Median debt, Pell Grant recipients | $12,600 | $11,075 |
| Website | ucmerced.edu | csun.edu |
Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;National directories of campus chapters and groups, October 2026;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 Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;College Scorecard, 2023–24;Common Data Set, 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