Cost, debt & salary

Is University of California, Merced worth it? What it costs, and what graduates earn

You would borrow a median $16,144 — about $184 a month for ten years. Graduates earn a median $64,368 ten years after starting, so the debt clears in roughly 0.7 years of the salary premium.

B

Is it worth the money?

Yes — you clear the borrowing faster than at most US universities.

You borrow $16,144 median federal debt at graduation
You repay $184/mo standard 10-year federal plan
You earn $64,368 median, 10 years after entry · beats 72%
Debt clears in 0.7 yrs ranked 146 of 810

What that feels like each month Repayment against the salary that has to cover it.

Gross monthly pay
$5,364
Loan repayment
$184
Share of your pay
3.4%
0%15% — the comfort line25%

Under roughly 15% of gross pay, repayment is generally considered manageable alongside rent and living costs.

Cut the debt before you borrow it

We do not list an award tied specifically to University of California, Merced yet — but national, country and subject scholarships still apply to students heading there, and each one cuts the $16,144 above.

Browse scholarships for the USA →

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How University of California, Merced compares Against the 810 US universities we grade on payback.

The typical graded university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,146 against $22,500 of debt. University of California, Merced clears its debt faster than that, and its graduates earn $24,848 a year more than a US worker with only a high-school diploma.

Nearby universityGradeDebtEarningsPayback
California State University, Monterey Bay California B $12,750 $59,247 0.7 yrs
California State University, Los Angeles California B $13,000 $59,211 0.7 yrs
California State University Channel Islands California B $15,000 $62,152 0.7 yrs
Sonoma State University California B $16,705 $65,986 0.6 yrs
Occidental College California B $23,000 $75,951 0.6 yrs

University of California, Merced — the money questions

How much do graduates of University of California, Merced earn?
Median earnings are $64,368 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled — from tax records, not a survey. That is higher than 72% of the US universities we hold figures for.
How much debt will I have at University of California, Merced?
The median graduate leaves with $16,144 of federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $184 a month — roughly 3.4% of the median graduate's monthly pay before tax.
How long does a degree from University of California, Merced take to pay for itself?
About 0.7 years of the salary premium — the amount graduates earn above the $39,520 a US worker with only a high-school diploma makes. That ranks it 146 of 810 US universities we grade on payback.
Can scholarships reduce this debt?
We do not currently list a scholarship tied specifically to University of California, Merced, but national and subject-based awards still apply — start from our scholarships listing.
Do these numbers apply to my subject?
No. The Department of Education publishes one figure per institution, so nursing, engineering and fine art students at University of California, Merced all sit inside the same median. Treat it as the size of the financial risk, not a salary forecast for your course.
University of California, Merced profile Programmes at University of California, Merced University of California, Merced scholarships Compare with California State University, Monterey Bay Payback across California What University of California, Merced costs Student loan record SAT scores & admission Fastest-paying US degrees Lowest student debt How we calculate this

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard — earnings and debt cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject taught at the institution. Figures imported 28 Aug 2026. This page is information, not financial advice.