University of Southern California (USC) vs Samuel Merritt University

When it comes to higher education, University of Southern California (USC) and Samuel Merritt University (SMU) stand out as two distinct institutions with unique offerings. USC, a renowned private research university, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 11%, while SMU, a private health sciences university, offers a more accessible pathway to higher education with an acceptance rate of 88%. Both universities are located in vibrant urban settings, with USC in Los Angeles and SMU in Oakland, providing students with ample opportunities for cultural exploration and professional networking. While USC offers a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including popular majors like business, engineering, and film, SMU specializes in health sciences, with programs in nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy attracting a large proportion of its student body. With USC's higher graduation rate of 89% compared to SMU's 78%, prospective students can expect a strong focus on academic achievement and career preparation at

	Samuel Merritt University	University of Southern California
Overview
Location	Oakland, California	Los Angeles, 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	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate		96.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	N/A	12.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $90	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $90
SAT range	N/A	1410 - 1540
ACT range	N/A	32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score		31.0%
Students submitting ACT score		19.0%
Total number of applicants		71,031
Total number of admissions given out		8,884
Admitted students who chose to enroll		3,668
Yield rate		41.3%
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		$81,659
Average net price		$26,021
Tuition		$60,446
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $10,098 Meal plan: $6,634
Available payment plans		Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)		72.0% Average amount $40,690
Students receiving federal student loan		22.0% Average amount $4,215
Students taking out private loans		2.0% Average amount $29,056

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	728 Men 20.6% Women 79.4%	20,790 Men 48.5% Women 51.5%
Graduate students	1,320 Men 26.1% Women 73.9%	28,528 Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	49.9%
International students	N/A	23.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	N/A	8,700
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 Texas New York Illinois Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions	Business Health Professions Engineering Computer and Information Science Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	9:1
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	92.0%
Dropout rate	N/A	7.2%
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	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $104,166 Year 2: $187,234 Year 3: $221,418 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $167,228 Year 2: $163,225 Year 3: $161,094 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $106,344 Year 2: $126,683 Year 3: $148,434 Marketing (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $113,473 Year 2: $117,572 Year 3: $147,381 Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $110,796 Year 2: $116,083 Year 3: $146,357 Legal Professions and Studies, Other (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $79,420 Year 2: $88,198 Year 3: $140,330 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $127,841 Year 2: $131,090 Year 3: $140,129 Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $135,775 Year 2: $135,393 Year 3: $136,848 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $121,676 Year 2: $101,072 Year 3: $134,632 Real Estate Development (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $119,991 Year 2: $122,038 Year 3: $125,784

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