The 2025 tuition & fees of University of California-Merced is $14,653 for in-state and $46,541 for out-of-state students. Its tuition & fees is much higher than the average tuition for R2 Universities' tuition of $31,790 based on out-of-state tuition rate.
Based on the last year increase rate, The 2026 estimated tuition & fees at UC Merced is $15,156 for California residents and $48,195 for out-of-state students, a 3.6% increase compared to 2025's rate.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | R2 Universities' Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | $14,167 | $44,944 | $30,674 |
| 2024-2025 | $14,653 | $46,541 | $31,790 |
| Change % 2024-2025 | 3.43% | 3.55% | 3.64% |
| 2025-2026 Estimate | $15,156 | $48,195 | $32,947 |
The living costs at UC Merced is $27,297 when living on campus. The on-campus living costs increased by 7.88% compared to the previous year. The off-campus living costs increased by 26.40%.
The UC Merced's 2025 COA is $42,996 for in-state and $74,884 for out-of-state students for living on campus. The off-campus COA is $36,088 for in-state and $67,976 for out-of-state students.
85% of enrolled students have received grants or scholarships, and the average aid amount is $24,780. It could cover 53.24% of the full tuition amount.
After receiving the financial aid, the net price is $18,216 for in-state and $50,104 for out-of-state students..
| On-Campus | Off-Campus | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-State | In-State | Out-State | |
| Tuition & Fees | $14,653 | $46,541 | $14,653 | $46,541 |
| Room & Board | $21,445 | $12,999 | ||
| Personal Expenses | $5,852 | $7,390 | ||
| Books & Supplies | $1,046 | $1,046 | ||
| COA | $42,996 | $74,884 | $36,088 | $67,976 |
| COA with Financial Aid | $18,216 | $50,104 | $11,308 | $43,196 |
UC Merced's 4-years tuition is $59,837 for in-state and $190,191 for out-of-state students, based on current tuition and change rate.
Since the tuition & fees at University of California-Merced have risen very slightly (very lower than national average) over the last 4 years, the actual costs may differ from the estimation based on the school or University system's new tuition policy.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $14,775 | $14,897 | $15,021 | $15,145 | $59,837 |
| Out-of-State | $46,940 | $47,343 | $47,749 | $48,159 | $190,191 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $14,897 | $15,021 | $15,145 | $15,271 | $60,333 |
| Out-of-State | $47,343 | $47,749 | $48,159 | $48,572 | $191,822 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $15,021 | $15,145 | $15,271 | $15,397 | $60,834 |
| Out-of-State | $47,749 | $48,159 | $48,572 | $48,988 | $193,468 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $15,145 | $15,271 | $15,397 | $15,525 | $61,338 |
| Out-of-State | $48,159 | $48,572 | $48,988 | $49,409 | $195,128 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $15,271 | $15,397 | $15,525 | $15,654 | $61,847 |
| Out-of-State | $48,572 | $48,988 | $49,409 | $49,833 | $196,802 |
Based on recent tuition increase rate, for the students who were admitted in Fall 2025, the estimated 4-years COA is $177,880 for California residents and $308,234 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $43,574 | $44,163 | $44,803 | $45,454 | $177,880 |
| Out-of-State | $75,740 | $76,609 | $77,493 | $78,392 | $308,234 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $44,163 | $44,765 | $45,415 | $46,077 | $180,310 |
| Out-of-State | $76,609 | $77,493 | $78,392 | $79,305 | $311,799 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $44,765 | $45,378 | $46,039 | $46,711 | $182,788 |
| Out-of-State | $77,493 | $78,392 | $79,305 | $80,233 | $315,423 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $45,378 | $46,004 | $46,676 | $47,359 | $185,315 |
| Out-of-State | $78,392 | $79,305 | $80,233 | $81,176 | $319,105 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $46,004 | $46,642 | $47,325 | $48,019 | $187,891 |
| Out-of-State | $79,305 | $80,233 | $81,176 | $82,133 | $322,846 |
After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $78,760 for California residents and $209,114 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $18,794 | $19,383 | $20,023 | $20,674 | $78,760 |
| Out-of-State | $50,960 | $51,829 | $52,713 | $53,612 | $209,114 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $19,383 | $19,985 | $20,635 | $21,297 | $81,190 |
| Out-of-State | $51,829 | $52,713 | $53,612 | $54,525 | $212,679 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $19,985 | $20,598 | $21,259 | $21,931 | $83,668 |
| Out-of-State | $52,713 | $53,612 | $54,525 | $55,453 | $216,303 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $20,598 | $21,224 | $21,896 | $22,579 | $86,195 |
| Out-of-State | $53,612 | $54,525 | $55,453 | $56,396 | $219,985 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $21,224 | $21,862 | $22,545 | $23,239 | $88,771 |
| Out-of-State | $54,525 | $55,453 | $56,396 | $57,353 | $223,726 |
The graduate school tuition at University of California-Merced is $14,753 for in-state and $29,855 for out-of-state students. Detailed graduate program tuition and majors can be found at UC Merced graduate program page.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | $14,187 | $29,289 |
| 2024-2025 | $14,753 | $29,855 |
| Change % 2024-2025 | 3.99% | 1.93% |
| 2025-2026 | $15,342 | $30,432 |
The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at UC Merced. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.
The following table compares tuition & fees between University of California-Merced and its similar schools.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| University of California-Merced | $14,653 | $46,541 |
| University of California-Los Angeles | $14,233 | $46,121 |
| University of California-Berkeley | $15,377 | $47,265 |
| University of California-San Diego | $15,788 | $47,676 |
| California State University-Fullerton | $7,470 | $20,070 |
| California State University-Long Beach | $7,374 | $19,974 |
In-State (California Residents): The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $177,880, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. The tuition and fees alone are approximately $15,145 per year, which would total around $59,837 over four years.
Out-of-State: The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $308,234. The tuition and fees are around $48,159 per year, totaling about $190,191 over four years.
The in-state undergraduate tuition at UC Merced is higher than the average for similar schools ($11,041 - public Research University (high research activity)).
The out-of-state undergraduate tuition at UC Merced is much higher than the average for similar schools ($23,595 - public Research University (high research activity)).
The in-state graduate tuition at UC Merced is higher than the average for similar schools ($11,778 - public Research University (high research activity)).
The out-of-state graduate tuition at UC Merced is higher than the average for similar schools ($22,098 - public Research University (high research activity)).
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