Location
- University of California-Merced
- Merced, CA
- California State University-Fullerton
- Fullerton, CA
University of California-Merced vs California State University-Fullerton
Merced, CA · Fullerton, CA · largest Scorecard gap: out-of-state tuition
Scorecard match plate
Pair CA:CA
PUBLIC-PAIR · SAME-STATE · ACCEPT-OPEN · NET-SPLIT · EARN-PAR · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-PAR · GAP-TUITION
- PUBLIC-PAIR Public pair
- SAME-STATE Same state · CA
- ACCEPT-OPEN Open admission
- NET-SPLIT Net-price split
- EARN-PAR Earnings near-par
- DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
- COMPLETE-PAR Completion near-par
- GAP-TUITION Largest gap · Out-of-State Tuition
Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the ENROLL-RACE · wide · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.
Decade path · College Scorecard
Both grew, one campus expanded much faster
ENROLL-RACE · wide · 2013–2023
Undergraduate headcount rose at both University of California-Merced and California State University-Fullerton across 2013–2023, but one fitted annual pace pulls far ahead of the other. Treat them as size peers on different slopes, not interchangeable large campuses.
- University of California-Merced: enrollment grew +43.4% over 2013–2023; fitted +295 students/yr fitted, r² 0.90.
- California State University-Fullerton: enrollment grew +12.0% over 2013–2023; fitted +389 students/yr fitted, r² 0.78.
- University of California-Merced: acceptance-rate path 2013–2023 stays non-directional here (r² 0.00).
- California State University-Fullerton: acceptance rate eased +89.4% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.71).
College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.
Scorecard metrics
Undergraduate Enrollment
Out-of-State Tuition
- University of California-Merced
- $49,823
In-State Tuition
- University of California-Merced
- $15,623
Avg Net Price
- University of California-Merced
- $11,983
Median Debt at Graduation
- University of California-Merced
- $16,144
Loan Repayment Rate (Completers)
Median Earnings (10 yr)
- University of California-Merced
- $64,368
150%-Time Completion
Retention Rate
Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.
| Metric | University of California-Merced Merced, CA | California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Merced, CA | Fullerton, CA |
| Undergraduate Enrollment | 8,372 | 38,546 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $49,823 | $20,070 |
| In-State Tuition | $15,623 | $7,470 |
| Avg Net Price | $11,983 | $6,555 |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $16,144 | $13,750 |
| Loan Repayment Rate (Completers) | 73.8% | 76.6% |
| Median Earnings (10 yr) | $64,368 | $62,951 |
| 150%-Time Completion | 68.9% | 69.7% |
| Retention Rate | 82.1% | 82.4% |
Largest gaps: University of California-Merced vs California State University-Fullerton
- OUT-OF-STATE-TUITI California State University-Fullerton leads on out-of-state tuition ($20,070 vs $49,823 at University of California-Merced)
- IN-STATE-TUITION California State University-Fullerton leads on in-state tuition ($7,470 vs $15,623 at University of California-Merced)
- AVG-NET-PRICE California State University-Fullerton leads on avg net price ($6,555 vs $11,983 at University of California-Merced)
University of California-Merced profile · California State University-Fullerton profile · Compare other colleges
Out-of-State Tuition and other Scorecard questions
On out-of-state tuition, who leads between University of California-Merced and California State University-Fullerton?▼
California State University-Fullerton leads on out-of-state tuition at $20,070 versus $49,823 at University of California-Merced. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On in-state tuition, who leads between University of California-Merced and California State University-Fullerton?▼
California State University-Fullerton leads on in-state tuition at $7,470 versus $15,623 at University of California-Merced. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On avg net price, who leads between University of California-Merced and California State University-Fullerton?▼
California State University-Fullerton leads on avg net price at $6,555 versus $11,983 at University of California-Merced. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); out-of-state tuition focus for this pair · 2025