Merced College
Merced, California
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 2 years.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
25% gap between the two groups
21% gap between the two groups
13% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $4,155 |
| $30k–$48k | $4,862 |
| $48k–$75k | $5,562 |
| $75k–$110k | $9,933 |
| $110k+ | $10,902 |
How Merced College compares
This college against the California and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of Merced College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at Merced College
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Certificate | $114,563 | — | +13,702% | Strong return |
| Business/Commerce, General | Certificate | $47,147 | — | +326% | Strong return |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | Certificate | $46,318 | — | +162% | Strong return |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Certificate | $41,926 | — | -710% | Poor return |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Certificate | $41,676 | — | -760% | Poor return |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Certificate | $35,817 | — | -1,922% | Poor return |
| Social Sciences, General | Certificate | $34,085 | — | -2,266% | Poor return |
| Psychology, General | Certificate | $32,072 | — | -2,665% | Poor return |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Certificate | $27,793 | — | -3,514% | Poor return |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Certificate | $21,220 | — | -4,818% | Poor return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at Merced College
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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