University of California, Riverside is the more selective of the two, admitting 76.8% of applicants versus 95.1% at University of California, Merced. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $11,557 per year at University of California, Merced versus $13,111 at University of California, Riverside.
| Metric | University of California, Merced | University of California, Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Overall acceptance rate | 95.1% | 76.8% |
| Early acceptance rate | 95.1% | 76.8% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1010–1230 | 1100–1320 |
| Avg unweighted GPA | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| Yield rate | 7.0% | 15.0% |
| Class size | 2,093 | 5,419 |
| Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income | $11,557 | $13,111 |
| Net price, over $110,000 income | $28,734 | $30,393 |
Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.
No. University of California, Riverside is more selective: it admits 76.8% of applicants, versus 95.1% at University of California, Merced, based on the most recent Common Data Set.
For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $11,557 per year at University of California, Merced and $13,111 at University of California, Riverside, so University of California, Merced is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).
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