Samuel Merritt University
About
Samuel Merritt University (SMU) is a private university focused on health sciences with its main campus in Oakland, California, and other facilities in Sacramento, Foster City and Fresno. It was an affiliate of the Sutter Health Network and Alta Bates Summit Medical Center until it disaffiliated in January, 2022, becoming a wholly independent institution. It is the only provider of physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician assistants and is the largest source of nurses in the greater East Bay. Formerly known as Samuel Merritt College, it was founded in 1909 as a hospital school of nursing. Today, it stands as a comprehensive health sciences university, encompassing three colleges: College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, and College of Podiatric Medicine
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 13 Title IV programs, 7 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 6 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing7 · 53.8%
- No Data6 · 46.2%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 9
Action history · 26
- Oct 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Podiatric Medical Association, Council on Podiatric Medical Education · Podiatry (POD) - Colleges of podiatric medicine, including first-professional and graduate degree programs
- Oct 2025Grant Substantive Change: OtherAmerican Podiatric Medical Association, Council on Podiatric Medical Education · Podiatry (POD) - Colleges of podiatric medicine, including first-professional and graduate degree programs
- Apr 2025Deny Substantive Change: OtherAmerican Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Programs leading to a Doctoral Degree
- Apr 2025Deny Substantive Change: OtherAmerican Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree
- Dec 2024Accreditation Reaffirmed: Warning RemovedAmerican Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Programs leading to a Doctoral Degree
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 148 students received $716K in Pell grants, alongside $78.9M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 754 borrowers who entered repayment, 1 (0.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Samuel Merritt
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- Public property7
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Samuel Merritt vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Samuel Merritt selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectSamuel Merritt University | — | — | 1,926 | — | — |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion | 68% | 89.9% | 79,818 | $13,670 | R1 Research |
Azusa Pacific University | 62% | 88.4% | 6,272 | $19,798 | R2 Research |
Barry University | 37% | 77.2% | 6,825 | $22,978 | Doctoral/Professional |
Boston College | 91% | 16.4% | 15,432 | $39,866 | R1 Research |
California State University-East Bay | 48% | 97.4% | 12,326 | $11,276 | R2 Research |
California State University-Fullerton | 70% | 90.5% | 43,662 | $5,646 | R2 Research |
California State University-Sacramento | 56% | 94.0% | 31,943 | $10,512 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Chapman University | 82% | 65.4% | 9,760 | $47,527 | R2 Research |
Columbia University in the City of New York | 96% | 4.0% | 35,173 | $20,148 | R1 Research |
Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical Center | — | — | 1,534 | — | — |
Dominican University of California | 78% | 83.5% | 1,900 | $50,218 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
Duke University | 97% | 5.7% | 17,499 | $34,454 | R1 Research |
Georgetown University | 95% | 12.9% | 20,031 | $39,433 | R1 Research |
Johns Hopkins University | 94% | 6.4% | 30,210 | $18,161 | R1 Research |
Keck Graduate Institute | — | — | 622 | — | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Loma Linda University | — | — | 4,210 | — | R2 Research |
Loyola University Chicago | 75% | 81.6% | 17,384 | $35,196 | R2 Research |
Midwestern University-Glendale | — | — | 3,738 | — | — |
Mount Saint Mary's University | 48% | 73.1% | 2,312 | $25,009 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
New York College of Podiatric Medicine | — | — | 339 | — | — |
Oregon Health & Science University | — | — | 2,942 | — | — |
Pacific University | 67% | 89.6% | 3,427 | $35,350 | Doctoral/Professional |
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science | — | — | 2,021 | — | — |
San Francisco State University | 50% | 96.4% | 22,563 | $12,882 | R2 Research |
San Jose State University | 69% | 84.6% | 37,661 | $13,741 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Sonoma State University | 58% | 93.4% | 5,891 | $13,801 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Temple University | 75% | 80.4% | 29,640 | $29,219 | R1 Research |
The University of Alabama | 73% | 76.6% | 40,846 | $22,150 | R1 Research |
University of California-Davis | 86% | 41.8% | 40,065 | $15,288 | R1 Research |
University of California-San Francisco | — | — | 3,007 | — | — |
University of Kentucky | 71% | 92.9% | 34,709 | $17,218 | R1 Research |
University of Maine at Fort Kent | 34% | 97.9% | 1,562 | $10,865 | Baccalaureate |
University of New England | 70% | 91.6% | 6,573 | $37,109 | R2 Research |
University of Puget Sound | 68% | 72.2% | 1,864 | $38,920 | Baccalaureate |
University of San Diego | 84% | 52.4% | 9,714 | $31,265 | R2 Research |
University of San Francisco | 70% | 61.7% | 8,913 | $39,495 | Doctoral/Professional |
University of Southern California | 92% | 9.8% | 46,566 | $31,927 | R1 Research |
University of the Pacific | 68% | 71.3% | 6,944 | $25,926 | Doctoral/Professional |
Vanderbilt University | 94% | 5.9% | 13,575 | $19,040 | R1 Research |
Western University of Health Sciences | — | — | 3,665 | — | — |
| Peer group median | 70% | 77.2% | 8,913 | $22,978 |
Samuel Merritt Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation provides objective, systematic, and thorough research and analysis in support of Samuel Merritt University's strategic and operational planning, policy formation, and decision-making activities.
Visit IR office page- Nandini DasguptaDirector of Institutional Research and Evaluation
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planSamuel Merritt University Strategic Plan 2024-20272024Samuel Merritt University has released its strategic plan for 2024-2027, focusing on five strategic themes: student success, higher enrollment, program excellence, program identity, and culture & infrastructure. Key priorities include enhancing pass rates, boosting enrollment and applicant pipelines, and developing new centers and clinics. Progress is already evident, with advancements in biomechanics research and a new articulation agreement poised to streamline student pathways.samuelmerritt.edu
Grants & funding (1)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Notable alumni of Samuel Merritt (4)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- CC Barber
- Laura DavisAthletics
- Lawrence B. Harkless
- Kelly Starrett
Frequently asked questions about Samuel Merritt University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Samuel Merritt.
How many students attend Samuel Merritt University?
Where is Samuel Merritt University located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Samuel Merritt University?
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