Merritt College
Oakland, California · Website
$44,392
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$44,392
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Merritt College is a public 2-year college in Oakland, California with 5,288 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $14,021 a year (tuition and fees $1,258 in-state, $9,898 out-of-state). 26% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $44,392 a year 10 years after they started.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$14,021
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$1,258
Out-of-state $9,898
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
26%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
-
Earnings at 10 years
$44,392
Rank 2,084 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
- $14,021
- Tuition in-state
- $1,258
- Tuition out-of-state
- $9,898
- Cost of attendance
- $21,424
- Students with a need-based grant
- 11%
- Students with federal loans
- 0.6%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $13,744
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $14,102
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $12,825
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $18,528
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $20,036
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 $1,156 in 2015-16 to $1,258 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
- 5,288
- Part-time students
- 82%
- Women
- 65%
- Students per teacher
- 33
- Completion rate
- 26%
- Retention rate
- 55%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 63
- 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 2,084 of 5,094 US colleges and 210 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $14,021 | $20,161 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $1,258 | $8,086 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 26% | 64% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 55% | 80% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | - | $11,537 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $36,329 | $36,048 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $44,392 | $41,472 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 26% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 58% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
63 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 201 | Withheld | Withheld | $47,306 | $31,135 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 131 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCertificate | Certificate | 78 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,906 |
| Social Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 76 | Withheld | Withheld | $50,001 | $43,146 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 45 | Withheld | Withheld | $51,037 | $34,184 |
| Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's | Associate's | 34 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,181 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,733 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,984 |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,705 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $46,706 |
| Legal Support ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,747 |
| Psychology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,288 |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $45,283 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 17 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | $138,291 | $80,813 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,246 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Legal Support ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,669 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,660 |
| Real EstateCertificate | Certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $46,762 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,734 |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,702 |
| EconomicsAssociate's | Associate's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $35,447 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Oakland and California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does Merritt College cost?
$14,021 a year is the average net price at Merritt College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $1,258 for in-state students and $9,898 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $21,424. Families earning under $30,000 pay $13,744 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Merritt College?
Merritt College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Merritt College graduates earn?
$44,392 a year is the median pay of former Merritt College students who work, 10 years after they started ($36,329 after 6 years). That ranks 2,084 of 5,094 US colleges and 210 of 494 in California.
What is the graduation rate at Merritt College?
26% of first-time, full-time students at Merritt College finish within 3 years. 55% 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 Merritt College?
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (201 certificate graduates), Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (131 associate's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (78 certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 63 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.