University of San Diego vs Samuel Merritt University

Considering higher education options? Explore the distinct offerings of University of San Diego and Samuel Merritt University. With acceptance rates of 65% and 86%, respectively, these institutions cater to different levels of competitiveness. While USD boasts a diverse student body with 8,800 undergraduates, SMU maintains a smaller community of 1,300 undergraduates. Both universities excel in specific areas: USD is renowned for its business and engineering programs, while SMU shines in healthcare and nursing. Compare their graduation rates, financial aid opportunities, and campus life to make an informed decision. Dive into the comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Samuel Merritt University	University of San Diego
Overview
Location	Oakland, California	San Diego, California
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Trimester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate		92.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation		Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	N/A	52.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $90	Undergraduate: $55 Graduate: $45
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants		14,326
Total number of admissions given out		7,550
Admitted students who chose to enroll		1,166
Yield rate		15.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price		$75,982
Average net price		$34,155
Tuition		$52,120
Room & board		$16,246
Available payment plans		Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)		82.0% Average amount $34,413
Students receiving federal student loan		33.0% Average amount $5,216
Students taking out private loans		5.0% Average amount $12,155

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	728 Men 20.6% Women 79.4%	5,702 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students	1,320 Men 26.1% Women 73.9%	3,339 Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	45.5%
International students	N/A	6.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	N/A	2,484
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Washington Colorado Arizona Nevada

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions	Legal Profession Business Education Health Professions Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	13:1
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	N/A	80.0%
Dropout rate	N/A	19.5%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $114,672 Year 2: $117,572 Year 3: $115,744 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,123 Year 2: $89,672 Year 3: $102,690 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $91,786 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $98,598 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $96,329 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: $93,985 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $71,367 Year 2: $73,391 Year 3: $92,346 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,417 Year 2: $75,706 Year 3: $84,924 Real Estate (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,970 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $84,277 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,809 Year 2: $61,962 Year 3: $75,083 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,424 Year 2: $67,324 Year 3: $72,729 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,434 Year 2: $61,069 Year 3: $72,310

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