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What University of California, Merced costs

Merced, California · Public · 8,372 undergrads

University of California, Merced's in-state sticker price was $41,008 a year in 2024-25 (College Scorecard). In-state students with federal aid paid $11,583 on average after grants; families earning under $30,000 paid $7,387. Out-of-state students pay $37,602 more in tuition.

What does University of California, Merced cost?

$11,583 a year in-state

Out of state: about $49,185 a year

What in-state students who got federal aid paid on average after grants, 2024-25. The in-state sticker price, with housing and food, is $41,008.

Tap your family income:

Average paid after grants by family income
under $30,000$7,387
$30,000–$48,000$7,141
$48,000–$75,000$10,285
$75,000–$110,000$14,069
over $110,000$30,779

Out-of-state tuition is $53,873 a year, against $16,271 in state. The out-of-state figure adds that $37,602 to the in-state average. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.

Own a business or have divorced parents? Run University of California, Merced's own calculator.

Net price 2024-25, College Scorecard.

By family income

In-state families who got federal aid, average paid per year after grants, 2024-25.

Family incomeIn-state, average paidOut of state, estimate
Under $30,000$7,387$44,989
$30,000–$48,000$7,141$44,743
$48,000–$75,000$10,285$47,887
$75,000–$110,000$14,069$51,671
Over $110,000$30,779$68,381

The out-of-state estimate is the in-state average plus the $37,602 more in tuition that University of California, Merced charges students from other states. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.

Run University of California, Merced's own calculator

For in-state families earning under $30,000, grants took 82% off University of California, Merced's sticker price.

Business owner, divorced parents, or savings? The averages can't see that; University of California, Merced's own calculator can.

Got an aid offer? See how to compare aid offers and ask for more.

Compared with colleges people also look at

For families earning $48,000–75,000, University of California, Merced cost less than California State University-Chico but more than California State University-Bakersfield and California State University-Dominguez Hills.

CollegeFamilies earning $48–75kAll aided students
University of California, Merced$10,285$11,583
California State University-Bakersfield$3,304$4,001
California State University-Chico$11,665$14,157
California State University-Dominguez Hills$7,655$7,244

Public colleges: in-state students.

The sticker price

$16,271
Tuition, in state, 2025-26
$53,873
Tuition, out of state, 2025-26
$41,008
Full sticker price, tuition, housing, food, books

Out-of-state students pay $37,602 more in tuition at University of California, Merced and usually get less aid.

62%
of undergrads get a Pell Grant, the federal grant for lower-income students.
$27,292
average grant for students who got aid.
28%
of undergrads take a federal loan.
$13,500
median federal debt at graduation.

Questions people ask

How much does University of California, Merced cost for a family earning $25,000?
In-state families earning under $30,000 paid $7,387 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $41,008. Your own price depends on your family's finances; University of California, Merced's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does University of California, Merced cost for a family earning $40,000?
In-state families earning $30,000–$48,000 paid $7,141 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $41,008. Your own price depends on your family's finances; University of California, Merced's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does University of California, Merced cost for a family earning $60,000?
In-state families earning $48,000–$75,000 paid $10,285 a year on average after grants in 2024-25 (students who got federal aid). The sticker price is $41,008. Your own price depends on your family's finances; University of California, Merced's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
How much does University of California, Merced cost for out-of-state students?
Out-of-state tuition at University of California, Merced is $53,873 a year, against $16,271 for in-state students in 2025-26. In-state students who got federal aid paid $11,583 on average after grants in 2024-25. Adding the $37,602 tuition gap gives about $49,185 a year from out of state. Out-of-state students usually get less aid, so many pay more.
Where these numbers come from
  • Admit rate and applicants: IPEDS, fall 2024 (checked Oct 31, 2026)
  • GPA, early rounds and wait list: Common Data Set, fall 2023 (checked Oct 31, 2026)
  • Cost, pay and debt: College Scorecard, 2024-25 (checked Oct 31, 2026)

Updated Oct 31, 2026Spot a mistake?How we get our numbers