California State University-Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) vs UC Merced

California State University-Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and University of California-Merced (UC-Merced) are two distinct public universities in California, each offering unique educational experiences. CSUDH, located in Carson, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on undergraduate education, while UC-Merced, situated in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, emphasizes research and offers a wide range of graduate programs. With different acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, these universities cater to different student needs and aspirations. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which institution aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.
California State University-Dominguez Hills logo

California State University-Dominguez Hills

University of California-Merced logo

University of California-Merced

Overview

Location Carson, California Merced, California
Campus setting City: Small Rural: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 70.0% 79.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 89.6% 86.6%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $70
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 16,741 27,793
Total number of admissions given out 14,999 24,068
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,048 2,410
Yield rate 13.7% 10.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $32,050

Out of state: $43,930
In state: $28,870

Out of state: $58,624
Average net price $4,500 $11,586
Tuition
In state: $5,742

Out of state: $17,622
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board $18,901
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

89.0%
Average amount $10,180
92.0%
Average amount $21,623
Students receiving federal student loan 10.0%
Average amount $4,421
18.0%
Average amount $4,470
Students taking out private loans 0.0%
Average amount $10,767
1.0%
Average amount $2,687

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 15,238
Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
8,321
Men 47.7% Women 52.3%
Graduate students 2,599
Men 28.5% Women 71.5%
772
Men 55.8% Women 44.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 0.3% 0.2%
International students 4.8% 8.7%
Campus local/setting City: Small Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 825 3,634
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Arizona Illinois Maryland Michigan California Alaska Idaho Missouri Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Education
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Liberal Arts
  • Engineering
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • English Language and Literature
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 25:1 19:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 52.5% 71.6%
Dropout rate 37.3% 5.0%
Transferred out 3.9% 22.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $120,577
  • Year 2: $117,274
  • Year 3: $114,249
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,298
  • Year 2: $93,875
  • Year 3: $101,845
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,965
  • Year 2: $86,867
  • Year 3: $100,916
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,572
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $85,773
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,493
  • Year 2: $74,576
  • Year 3: $81,852
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,986
  • Year 2: $60,320
  • Year 3: $75,997
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,121
  • Year 2: $69,757
  • Year 3: $74,512
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,913
  • Year 2: $67,324
  • Year 3: $73,823
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,374
  • Year 2: $45,919
  • Year 3: $71,966
Social Work (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,980
  • Year 2: $60,096
  • Year 3: $63,563
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,675
  • Year 2: $55,286
  • Year 3: $68,164
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,936
  • Year 2: $51,392
  • Year 3: $67,761
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,771
  • Year 2: $43,000
  • Year 3: $57,642
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,420
  • Year 2: $39,729
  • Year 3: $53,045
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,245
  • Year 2: $41,937
  • Year 3: $50,288
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,755
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $49,047
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,917
  • Year 2: $38,721
  • Year 3: $47,958
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,685
  • Year 2: $31,391
  • Year 3: $43,274
Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,397
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $42,368
Cognitive Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,909
  • Year 2: $28,960
  • Year 3: $40,928

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