Samuel Merritt University vs Occidental College

Samuel Merritt University and Occidental College, two distinct institutions of higher learning in California, offer unique educational experiences for prospective students. Samuel Merritt University, a private university in Oakland, is renowned for its health sciences programs, while Occidental College, a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, emphasizes interdisciplinary studies and global engagement. With acceptance rates of 85% and 33%, respectively, these institutions cater to different levels of academic competitiveness. Samuel Merritt University's student body is predominantly female (73%) and diverse, with 40% of students identifying as underrepresented minorities. Occidental College, on the other hand, has a more balanced gender ratio (49% male, 51% female) and a slightly higher graduation rate (83% vs. 79%). Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including popular majors, tuition fees, and financial aid opportunities, to determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences

	Occidental College	Samuel Merritt University
Overview
Location	Los Angeles, California	Oakland, California
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Trimester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	38.2%	N/A
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $90
SAT range	1340 - 1490	N/A
ACT range	30 - 33	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	22.0%
Total number of applicants	6,495
Total number of admissions given out	2,484
Admitted students who chose to enroll	535
Yield rate	21.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Required	N/A
High school transcript	Not required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$77,878
Average net price	$43,047
Tuition	$57,830
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,512 Meal plan: $8,090
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $29,715
Students receiving federal student loan	31.0% Average amount $4,603
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $6,554

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,964 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%	728 Men 20.6% Women 79.4%
Graduate students	N/A	1,320 Men 26.1% Women 73.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	62.5%	N/A
International students	6.3%	N/A
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,650	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington New York Illinois Mississippi	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	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	82.9%	N/A
Dropout rate	4.1%	N/A
Transferred out	12.6%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,544 Year 2: $55,078 Year 3: $63,231 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,360 Year 2: $37,779 Year 3: $49,843 International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,329 Year 2: $36,132 Year 3: $45,083 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,948 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $43,488 Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $33,877 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $31,152 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,035 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $31,095 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,916 Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $30,729 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: N/A Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,793 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: N/A	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 Occidental College

Occidental College

Samuel Merritt University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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