Samuel Merritt University

What is the cost of studying for a year at Samuel Merritt University?

Samuel Merritt University is a high-tuition private institution, and its published tuition is only one part of the annual cost of attendance. For 2024-25, reported average full-time undergraduate tuition was $50,138 for both California residents and nonresidents; reported average full-time graduate tuition was $49,786 for both groups. These are reporting-year figures, not a quote for every current program.

The same 2024-25 reporting lists part-time tuition of $1,310 per undergraduate credit and $1,611 per graduate credit, with no separately reported required fees in those averages. Actual charges may instead follow a program-specific, term-based, or cohort-based schedule. Applicants should use the tuition schedule for their degree and entry year, especially for accelerated or professional programs whose calendars may not match a standard two-semester academic year.

A personal budget must also account for books, equipment, clinical requirements, transportation, food, and housing in the area where the student will study. The university does not provide undergraduate college-operated housing, so a student's rent will depend on their own arrangements. Published cost of attendance is a budgeting estimate; net cost is what remains after applicable grants and scholarships, while loans must generally be repaid. An IPEDS-based figure puts average grant aid among undergraduate recipients at $13,157, but that amount is not an individual aid offer. The reported share of students using loans is 91%, making the terms and total amount of borrowing particularly important to review.

Eligible students may pursue federal grants and loans through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, along with applicable California aid, institutional scholarships, and outside scholarships. Veterans and service members should have the university's benefits office confirm how a specific education benefit applies to their program. Compare the current program cost estimate and a personalized aid offer for the same academic period before calculating what must be paid or borrowed.

What are the work-study opportunities at Samuel Merritt University?

Samuel Merritt University students may combine financial-aid-eligible employment, ordinary part-time work, and career-building clinical experience, but these are different arrangements. Federal Work-Study, when included in an eligible student's aid offer, provides wages for work performed; it is not a tuition discount paid automatically at the start of a term.

Students interested in Work-Study should complete the FAFSA and ask financial aid how eligibility, available positions, and hiring work for their campus and program. A part-time job outside Work-Study has its own employer and schedule requirements. Neither form of paid employment should be confused with a required clinical rotation, which may be unpaid and may take priority in a professional program's timetable.

The university reports career support that includes individual and group counseling, résumé preparation, interview workshops, a job bank, employer recruitment, job fairs, and résumé referrals. These services can help students prepare and search, but their availability does not establish a placement rate or guarantee an offer. Applicants with an inflexible clinical schedule may want to ask when employer events and advising appointments are offered.