Samuel Merritt University vs Grand Canyon University (GCU)

Samuel Merritt University and Grand Canyon University, while both offering a wide range of academic programs and opportunities, present distinct differences that may influence your higher education journey. Samuel Merritt University, a private institution located in Oakland, California, boasts a smaller student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to Grand Canyon University, a private Christian university based in Phoenix, Arizona. While Grand Canyon University offers a broader selection of undergraduate and graduate programs, Samuel Merritt University excels in healthcare-related fields, including nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Explore the detailed comparison table to uncover further distinctions in acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, empowering you to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and career goals.

	Grand Canyon University	Samuel Merritt University
Overview
Location	Phoenix, Arizona	Oakland, California
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (For Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Trimester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	71.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	82.8%	N/A
Application fees		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	36,861
Total number of admissions given out	30,534
Admitted students who chose to enroll	7,620
Yield rate	25.0%
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)	Required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$32,100
Average net price	$21,644
Tuition	$16,500
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,300 Meal plan: $3,800
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $10,225
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,346
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $12,937

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	65,870 Men 29.3% Women 70.7%	728 Men 20.6% Women 79.4%
Graduate students	37,202 Men 22.5% Women 77.5%	1,320 Men 26.1% Women 73.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	73.1%	N/A
International students	1.2%	N/A
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	15,937	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Arizona California Washington Colorado Minnesota	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Computer and Information Science	Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	7:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	44.7%	N/A
Dropout rate	52.9%	N/A
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $117,397 Year 2: $119,061 Year 3: $125,189 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,451 Year 2: $96,705 Year 3: $100,941 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,965 Year 2: $87,641 Year 3: $91,610 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,940 Year 2: $77,476 Year 3: $80,825 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $75,319 Year 2: $66,821 Year 3: $68,008 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,248 Year 2: $64,265 Year 3: $66,703 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,382 Year 2: $57,047 Year 3: $64,355 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,308 Year 2: $59,621 Year 3: $62,793 Homeland Security (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,625 Year 2: $60,082 Year 3: $61,171 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,083 Year 2: $55,605 Year 3: $59,588	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

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Samuel Merritt University vs Grand Canyon University (GCU)

Grand Canyon University

Samuel Merritt University

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Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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