Samuel Merritt University
Oakland, CA 94609
About Samuel Merritt University
Samuel Merritt University is a private research university in Oakland, California, enrolling about 718 students. Samuel Merritt University awards degrees and certificates tracked in federal College Scorecard and IPEDS reporting. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $143,238 among students who received federal aid.
Samuel Merritt University: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Samuel Merritt University—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
Median earnings should be read with net price, debt, and completion—not as a standalone quality score.
Student outcomes
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Samuel Merritt University is known for
Top program completions
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse567
- Family Practice Nurse/Nursing72
- Occupational Therapy/Therapist49
- Nursing Practice46
- Physician Associate/Assistant41
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Samuel Merritt University a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Samuel Merritt University is a good school for those looking for strong graduate earnings outcomes in College Scorecard data.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Samuel Merritt University.
Campus
Location
Oakland, CA
City / state
- ZIP
- 94609
- NCES locale
- City
See Urban (City) college profile for median costs and outcomes at similar campuses.
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Far West
- Carnegie
- Special Focus Four-Year: Business and Management
Size
Enrollment
718
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 1,101
- Graduate
- 1,191
- Full-time share
- 83%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$20,825
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 18.35%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Samuel Merritt University.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Samuel Merritt University was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Samuel Merritt University in that year.
Multi-year history is not in this profile yet. It is added when the institution cost history CSV has been collected and merged into school JSON.
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Samuel Merritt University reported total enrollment of about 718 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 17% male and 83% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Hispanic or Latino (27.7%), Asian (24.9%), and White (24.0%). About 18.35% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 32.0% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
83.4% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Samuel Merritt University in 2024 is 718 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 1,101 students. Graduate enrollment is about 1,191 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
N/A%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
0.00% 100% Completion Time
0.00% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 0.00% of students graduating from Samuel Merritt University completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse: 21% male / 79% female
- Family Practice Nurse/Nursing: 3% male / 97% female
- Occupational Therapy/Therapist: 16% male / 84% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Samuel Merritt University graduates earn a median of $143,238 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Samuel Merritt University.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $143,238. Median federal loan debt: $20,825.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Samuel Merritt University graduates report median earnings of $143,238 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Samuel Merritt University.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 8 programs by IPEDS completions (9 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Samuel Merritt University.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Samuel Merritt University graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Samuel Merritt University—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$41.8M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- California median 2.1× the median ($19.7M)
- Far West median 2.5× the median ($16.8M)
- U.S. median 1.6× the median ($26.4M)
- California median 2.7× the median ($7,407)
- Far West median 2.7× the median ($7,260)
- U.S. median 1.6× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 45.1%
- California median 5.7 pp above median (39.3%)
- Far West median 0.6 pp below median (45.7%)
- U.S. median 12.9 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $11,449
- California median 1.1× the median ($10,166)
- Far West median 1.2× the median ($9,635)
- U.S. median 1.5× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $19,852
- California median 3.1× the median ($6,474)
- Far West median 2.8× the median ($7,030)
- U.S. median 2.7× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Samuel Merritt University at a glance
Samuel Merritt University
Samuel Merritt University is a private non-profit institution in Oakland, CA, classified as Special Focus Four-Year: Business and Management.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Registered Nursing/Registered NurseFamily Practice Nurse/NursingOccupational Therapy/Therapist
- Largest enrollment groups
- Hispanic or Latino27.7%Asian24.9%White or Caucasian24.0%
Schools near Samuel Merritt University
Other campuses in Oakland, CA when available, plus nearby institutions in California.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade A) within California, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Samuel Merritt University located?
Samuel Merritt University is located in Oakland, CA.
How much does Samuel Merritt University cost?
Reported tuition is N/A and average net price is N/A in the latest College Scorecard data.
What is the student body demographics at Samuel Merritt University?
Samuel Merritt University reports undergraduate enrollment of about 1,101 students, Hispanic or Latino (27.7%), Asian (24.9%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Samuel Merritt University?
About 32.0% of students at Samuel Merritt University are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Samuel Merritt University earn?
Median earnings are $143,353 six years after entry and $143,238 ten years after entry.
How much debt do Samuel Merritt University students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $20,825.
Is Samuel Merritt University public or private?
Samuel Merritt University is a private nonprofit institution located in Oakland, CA.
Is Samuel Merritt University an HBCU?
No. Samuel Merritt University is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Samuel Merritt University a tribal college?
No. Samuel Merritt University is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Samuel Merritt University a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
By the common federal eligibility proxy used here (≥25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard), yes—Samuel Merritt University reports 27.7% Hispanic enrollment share.
Is Samuel Merritt University religiously affiliated?
No religious affiliation is reported for Samuel Merritt University in IPEDS institutional characteristics.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.