by our College Data Analytics TeamHere is what you can expect to pay at University of California-Merced, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
The total cost of attendance at University of California-Merced spanned $37,098.00 ranging to $71,298.00 across residency tiers.
Residency made the difference: in-state students paid the lower rate and out-of-state students the higher rate: close to $37,098.00 in-state compared with $71,298.00 for those paying out-of-state rates.
The blocks below show what you would pay with no aid, with average aid, and as a low-income student.
| Tuition and fees | $15,623.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $21,475.00 |
| Total cost | $37,098.00 |
| That is 93% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $37,098.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$27,682.00 |
| Net price | $9,416.00 |
| That is 51% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $37,098.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$31,720.00 |
| Net price | $5,378.00 |
| That is 72% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $49,823.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $21,475.00 |
| Total cost | $71,298.00 |
| That is 270% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $71,298.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$27,682.00 |
| Net price | $43,616.00 |
| That is 127% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $71,298.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$31,720.00 |
| Net price | $39,578.00 |
| That is 106% above the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on the tuition & fees page plus room and board. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising at about 4.7% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. Below, the cost is projected across a degree for three students at once — low-income with aid, average aid, and no aid. Loan figures amortise the projected total over ten years at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Freshman year | $5,631.00 | $9,859.00 | $38,842.00 |
| Senior year | $6,463.00 | $11,315.00 | $44,580.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $24,161.00 | $42,302.00 | $166,667.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $9,205.00 | $16,116.00 | $63,494.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $278.00 | $487.00 | $1,918.00 |
| Total amount paid | $33,366.00 | $58,418.00 | $230,161.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Freshman year | $5,631.00 | $9,859.00 | $38,842.00 |
| Senior year | $5,895.00 | $10,322.00 | $40,667.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $11,526.00 | $20,180.00 | $79,509.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $4,391.00 | $7,688.00 | $30,290.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $133.00 | $232.00 | $915.00 |
| Total amount paid | $15,917.00 | $27,868.00 | $109,799.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Freshman year | $41,438.00 | $45,666.00 | $74,649.00 |
| Senior year | $47,560.00 | $52,412.00 | $85,677.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $177,808.00 | $195,949.00 | $320,314.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $67,739.00 | $74,650.00 | $122,028.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $2,046.00 | $2,255.00 | $3,686.00 |
| Total amount paid | $245,547.00 | $270,599.00 | $442,342.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Freshman year | $41,438.00 | $45,666.00 | $74,649.00 |
| Senior year | $43,386.00 | $47,812.00 | $78,157.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $84,824.00 | $93,478.00 | $152,806.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $32,315.00 | $35,612.00 | $58,214.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $976.00 | $1,076.00 | $1,759.00 |
| Total amount paid | $117,139.00 | $129,090.00 | $211,020.00 |
See the full net-price breakdown in the net price section below.
Net price reflects the true cost to attend after grant and scholarship aid is deducted. For most students, this is the more useful number than published tuition because it reflects the real out-of-pocket cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $11,983.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $13,144.00 |
Net price is not the same for every family — it falls as financial need rises and grant aid increases. The table below shows the average net price by family-income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $8,572.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $9,581.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $11,594.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $17,323.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $30,561.00 |
Get a tailored estimate from the University of California-Merced Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
Dig into how aid is awarded on the financial aid breakdown.
The typical debt load for borrowers leaving University of California-Merced comes to $12,750.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) burden category.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,500.00 |
| 25th | $5,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $12,750.00 |
| 75th | $24,250.00 |
| 90th | $29,000.00 |
The spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles reflects how variable debt outcomes are at this school.
Dig deeper into debt on the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Debt outcomes vary substantially with family income. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,270.00 |
| Middle income | $12,000.00 |
| High income | $15,991.00 |
First-gen students typically face different financial-aid contexts than students whose parents attended college.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,250.00 |
Pell Grant eligibility is a useful proxy for low-income status among undergraduates. The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap reveals how borrowing differs by need.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at University of California-Merced amounts to $-1,039.00.
The default-rate classification at University of California-Merced is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 6.4% |
To put the rates in context, Stafford loans at University of California-Merced come to $201,301,822.00 across 13,777 borrowers.
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for substantial federal education benefits including the GI Bill and Department of Defense tuition support.
| GI Bill recipients | 9 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $9,695.00 |
Read more about military and veteran aid on the college veterans page.
Use the figures above as a launch point, then think through University of California-Merced, a few questions are worth asking:
Each page below covers one part of paying for college in more detail:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.