Merced College
Merced, California · Also known as Merced Community College District · Website
$37,815
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$37,815
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Merced College is a public 2-year college in Merced, California with 10,001 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $5,040 a year (tuition and fees $1,200 in-state, $8,520 out-of-state). 36% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $37,815 a year 10 years after they started.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$5,040
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$1,200
Out-of-state $8,520
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
36%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
-
Earnings at 10 years
$37,815
Rank 3,072 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $5,040
- Tuition in-state
- $1,200
- Tuition out-of-state
- $8,520
- Cost of attendance
- $14,485
- Students with a need-based grant
- 38%
- Students with federal loans
- 0.8%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $4,155
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $4,862
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $5,562
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $9,933
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $10,902
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $1,141 in 2015-16 to $1,200 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 10,001
- Part-time students
- 51%
- Women
- 58%
- Students per teacher
- 28
- Completion rate
- 36%
- Retention rate
- 63%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 106
- Endowment
- $10.5M
- Other
- Hispanic-serving, Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 3,072 of 5,094 US colleges and 343 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $5,040 | $20,161 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $1,200 | $8,086 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 36% | 64% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 63% | 80% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | - | $11,537 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $31,468 | $36,048 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $37,815 | $41,472 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 53% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
106 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCertificate | Certificate | 700 | Withheld | $27,413 | $39,525 | $44,906 |
| Psychology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 328 | Withheld | $34,441 | $37,188 | $39,288 |
| Social Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 188 | Withheld | $34,168 | $41,246 | $43,146 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 141 | Withheld | $27,541 | $44,926 | $48,702 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 102 | Withheld | Withheld | $49,768 | $48,733 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate | Certificate | 98 | Withheld | $31,349 | $57,587 | $56,073 |
| SociologyAssociate's | Associate's | 92 | Withheld | Withheld | $41,486 | $44,144 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 74 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 72 | Withheld | $31,050 | $45,151 | $46,706 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 65 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,184 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 61 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,586 |
| Agricultural MechanizationCertificate | Certificate | 59 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $60,506 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 54 | Withheld | $107,024 | $118,723 | $80,813 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 54 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,440 |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 54 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $32,681 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 47 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,125 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 41 | Withheld | $78,871 | $90,335 | $57,584 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsAssociate's | Associate's | 31 | Withheld | $47,114 | $59,178 | $62,755 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,927 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's | Associate's | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,162 |
| Agricultural Business and ManagementAssociate's | Associate's | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,825 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,650 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,073 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $35,447 |
| HistoryAssociate's | Associate's | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $38,929 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Merced and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does Merced College cost?
$5,040 a year is the average net price at Merced College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $1,200 for in-state students and $8,520 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $14,485. Families earning under $30,000 pay $4,155 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Merced College?
Merced College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Merced College graduates earn?
$37,815 a year is the median pay of former Merced College students who work, 10 years after they started ($31,468 after 6 years). That ranks 3,072 of 5,094 US colleges and 343 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $107,024.
What is the graduation rate at Merced College?
36% of first-time, full-time students at Merced College finish within 3 years. 63% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at Merced College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (700 certificate graduates), Psychology, General (328 associate's graduates), Social Sciences, General (188 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 106 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.