Sac State vs Samuel Merritt University

California State University-Sacramento (CSUS) and Samuel Merritt University (SMU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning located in the vibrant city of Sacramento, California. While both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs and opportunities, they differ in several key aspects. CSUS, a public university, boasts a larger student body and a wider selection of undergraduate and graduate programs, including popular majors like business, engineering, and nursing. SMU, a private university with a focus on health sciences, offers a more intimate learning environment and is renowned for its exceptional programs in nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. With varying acceptance rates, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, CSUS and SMU cater to different student populations and aspirations. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	California State University-Sacramento	Samuel Merritt University
Overview
Location	Sacramento, California	Oakland, California
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Trimester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	81.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	93.7%	N/A
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $90
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	22,706
Total number of admissions given out	21,272
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,581
Yield rate	16.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A
High school GPA	Required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Not required	N/A
High school transcript	Not required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $31,488 Out of state: $43,368
Average net price	$7,778
Tuition	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,744 Meal plan: $5,030
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	80.0% Average amount $9,769
Students receiving federal student loan	18.0% Average amount $4,607
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $12,368

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	29,451 Men 42.8% Women 57.2%	728 Men 20.6% Women 79.4%
Graduate students	3,047 Men 32.9% Women 67.1%	1,320 Men 26.1% Women 73.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	1.6%	N/A
International students	4.0%	N/A
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,173	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington Arizona Hawaii Alaska	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Engineering Education Social Sciences Computer and Information Science	Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	25:1	7:1
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	57.5%	N/A
Dropout rate	32.1%	N/A
Transferred out	3.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $105,852 Year 2: $108,495 Year 3: $114,088 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $84,797 Year 2: $90,412 Year 3: $101,346 Construction Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $81,148 Year 2: $80,779 Year 3: $91,338 Civil Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,787 Year 2: $80,022 Year 3: $90,507 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $83,004 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $89,399 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,951 Year 2: $78,343 Year 3: $85,246 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,130 Year 2: $70,596 Year 3: $82,173 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,865 Year 2: $73,739 Year 3: $81,304 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,510 Year 2: $67,240 Year 3: $80,353 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,158 Year 2: $64,406 Year 3: $73,910	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $123,663 Year 2: $139,136 Year 3: $143,948 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $101,572 Year 2: $110,846 Year 3: $121,792 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $124,643 Year 2: $116,083 Year 3: $121,450 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,463 Year 2: $73,635 Year 3: $73,513 Podiatric Medicine/Podiatry (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $55,601 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $72,593 Medicine (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,189 Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $95,289 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.