Merritt College
- Graduation Rate
- 23% F
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $44,392 C+
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $14,021 C+
- 18% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 5,288
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 20.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $20.4 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $20.4 over 20 years. Net gain: $1,085,478.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Graduation of 23% — 59% below the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $20.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
About Merritt College
Merritt College is profiled below with full outcomes data from federal sources.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 5,288
- Setting
- Urban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Health Professions, Humanities, Social Sciences, Business & Marketing
Why students choose Merritt College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $14,021 a year after grants and scholarships — 18% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $44,392 ten years after enrolling — 9% above the typical college.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Strong cross-class social capital — an economic-connectedness score of 0.68 (Opportunity Insights).
See mobility →Overview
Merritt College serves a diverse student body of 5,288 in Oakland, California, with a focus on community-oriented programs. The school emphasizes health professions, humanities, social sciences, business and marketing, and legal studies as top areas of study.
The Opportunity Insights data on Merritt College reveals limited information on economic mobility and success rates. However, the graduation rate stands at 23%. This number suggests that many students may face challenges in completing their degrees. Without more detailed mobility data, it is hard to assess the long-term impact of a degree from Merritt College on upward mobility.
From a practical standpoint, the net price to attend Merritt College is $14,021. Graduates earn an average of $44,392 after ten years. The Pell Grant rate is 11%, indicating that a small portion of students rely on federal assistance. Students who thrive here typically seek affordable pathways into fields like health and social services.
Can I Get In?
How selective Merritt College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Merritt College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Merritt College, located in Oakland, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 23%.
- Retention Rate
- 55%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 35%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $12,200
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 26:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.79
- First-Gen Students
- 55%
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Merritt College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Merritt College is $9,898, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $14,021. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $13,744 after need-based grants.
- In-State Tuition
- $1,258
- Out-of-State
- $9,898
- Avg Net Price
- $14,021
- Pell Grant Rate
- 11%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 1%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $13,744
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $14,102
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $12,825
- Family Income $110K+
- $20,036
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Merritt College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Merritt College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Merritt College report median earnings of $44,392, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $36,329
- 8 Years
- $37,955
- 10 Years
- $44,392
- Earning > $25K
- 46%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (22)
- 11%
- 100% (22)
- 11%
- 100% (22)
- 11%
- 100% (22)
- 11%
How Merritt Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
College ROI Calculator
Is Merritt College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Merritt College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $14,021/year ($56,084 total). Graduates earn $44,392 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,141,562 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,085,478 (20.4× your investment).. With a 23% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $56,084
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,141,562
- Net Return
- $1,085,478
- ROI Multiple
- 20.4×
- Cost Per Year
- $14,021
- Graduation Rate
- 23%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Top Programs
The fields Merritt College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Health Professions 23% $41,658 early-career
- Humanities 7%
- Social Sciences 7%
- Business & Marketing 6%
- Legal Studies 5%
- Psychology 2%
- Computer Science & IT 2%
- Criminal Justice 2%
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Merritt College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
- B-Software Developer$132,270 · 25% growthVulnerable 40
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Merritt College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Merritt College, located in Oakland, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 23%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Merritt College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Merritt College is $9,898, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $14,021. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $13,744 after need-based grants.
Is Merritt College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Merritt College report median earnings of $44,392, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
How Connected Is Merritt College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Merritt College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.68, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.12). Around 2% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Merritt College.
- Minneapolis Community and Technical CollegeMinneapolis, MN · Close peer18% grad $40,086 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Estrella Mountain Community CollegeAvondale, AZ · Close peer29% grad $44,356 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Chandler-Gilbert Community CollegeChandler, AZ · Close peer27% grad $51,111 earnWhy: similar grad rate · similar size · similar net price
- Century CollegeWhite Bear Lake, MN · Close peer27% grad $46,424 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Tri-County Technical CollegePendleton, SC · Close peer41% grad $40,101 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- College of Southern MarylandLa Plata, MD · Close peer33% grad $44,435 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Merritt College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Merritt College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.68, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.12). Around 2% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note