Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for University of California, Merced, Purdue University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | UC MercedMerced, CA | PurdueWest Lafayette, IN |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 90.5% | 49.9% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedUniversity of California-Merced reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1200–1480 |
| Average net price | $11,98358.9% on Pell grants | $14,60013.0% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $15,623 in-state · $49,823 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $9,992 in-state · $28,794 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 68.7% | 83.1% |
| First-year retention | 82.1% | 92.7% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 58.9% | 13.0% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $64,368 | $72,424 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $16,144 | $19,500 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 21:1 | 14:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 8,372 | 44,503 |
| Consensus percentile | 14Lower is better | 11Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 35 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 18 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | UC Merced | Purdue |
|---|---|---|
| US News | #57 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #46 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #190 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #62 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #14 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #44 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| WSJ | #18 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #102 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #283 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #70 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
California students — particularly first-generation and Pell-eligible students — who want a research university education with UC faculty, small classes and a low net price, and who care more about what a degree costs and returns than about the name on it.
A 68.7% six-year graduation rate is the weakest in the UC system and worth asking about by major.
Full profileCost-conscious engineering, aviation, agriculture and technology students who want strong outcomes without needing single-digit-admit credentials.
84% six-year graduation rate trails the elite tier.
Full profile