{{Short description|Public university in Merced, California, U.S.}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox university | name = University of California, Merced | motto = ''[[Fiat lux]]'' ([[Latin]]) | mottoeng = [[Let there be light]] | accreditation = [[WASC Senior College and University Commission|WSCUC]] | image = UC Merced Seal.png | image_upright = .7 | established = {{start date and age|2005|09|5}}<ref>{{cite web |title=A brief history of the University of California |url=https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs//programs-and-initiatives/faculty-resources-advancement/faculty-handbook-sections/brief-history.html |website=Academic Personnel and Programs |access-date=December 3, 2020 |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021131936/https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs//programs-and-initiatives/faculty-resources-advancement/faculty-handbook-sections/brief-history.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ucmerced.edu/about|title=About UC Merced | Research University in California|website=www.ucmerced.edu}}</ref> | budget = $399.4 million (2022–23)<ref>{{cite web|title=UCM Base Budget FY23|url=https://ucmerced.app.box.com/s/ow4beh5xz4gm9clvlhh21tavkc4r8bd5|publisher=University of California, Merced|work=UCM Budget FY23|access-date=November 23, 2023}}</ref> | parent = [[University of California]] | type = [[Public university|Public]] [[land-grant]] [[research university]] | endowment = $32.9 million (2024)<ref name="UCMEndowment">As of June 30, 2024. {{cite web |url=https://www.ucop.edu/investment-office/investment-reports/annual-reports/annual-endwoment-report-fy-2023-2024.pdf|title=University of California Annual Endowment Report Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2024 |date=November 13, 2024 |website=Office of the President |publisher=University of California |access-date=May 31, 2025 }}</ref> | administrative_staff = 1,330 (April 2025)<ref name="head count"/> | faculty = 463 (April 2025)<ref name="head count">{{cite web|url=https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/uc-employee-headcount|title=UC Employee Headcount|date=June 30, 2025 |publisher=University of California|access-date=October 20, 2025}}</ref> | chancellor = [[Juan Sánchez Muñoz]] | provost = Betsy Dumont<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2024/betsy-dumont-named-provost-uc-merced|title=Betsy Dumont Named Provost at UC Merced|access-date=2025-05-31}}</ref> | students = 9,110 (fall 2024)<ref name="Enrollment">{{cite web |url=https://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts |title=Fast Facts 2024-25 |publisher=University of California, Merced |access-date=August 21, 2018 |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609114025/https://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts |url-status=dead }}</ref> | undergrad = 8,372 (fall 2024)<ref name="Enrollment"/> | postgrad = 738 (fall 2024)<ref name="Enrollment"/> | city = [[Merced, California|Merced]] | state = [[California]] | country = United States | coordinates = {{coord|37.366|-120.4235 |format=dms |region:US-CA_type:edu |display=inline,title}} | campus = Fringe rural<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Merced&s=all&id=445188|title=College Navigator – University of California-Merced|website=nces.ed.gov}}</ref><br />Core Campus: {{convert|245|acre|ha}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://finreports.universityofcalifornia.edu/index.php?file=18-19/pdf/fullreport-1819.pdf |title=University of California Annual Financial Report 18/19 |publisher=University of California |page=8 |access-date=November 22, 2023 |archive-date=September 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923042236/https://finreports.universityofcalifornia.edu/index.php?file=18-19%2Fpdf%2Ffullreport-1819.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><br /> Total: {{convert|8,195|acre|ha}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bfs.ucmerced.edu/sites/bfs.ucmerced.edu/files/page/documents/financial_report_fy_2018-2019_-_final.pdf |title=2018-2019 Annual Financial Report (Unaudited) |date=February 27, 2020 |publisher=University of California, Merced |access-date=August 9, 2024 }}</ref> | campus_size = {{convert|1,026|acre}} | colors = {{color box|#002856}} Bobcat Blue <br /> {{color box|#daa900}} Bobcat Gold<ref>{{cite web|title=Brand Standards and Colors|url=https://brand.ucmerced.edu/logos-elements/colors|publisher=University of California, Merced|work=Merced Brand Colors/Standards|access-date=November 22, 2023}}</ref> | mascot = Rufus the Bobcat | sports_nickname = [[UC Merced Golden Bobcats|Golden Bobcats]] | sporting_affiliations = [[NCAA Division II]] – [[California Collegiate Athletic Association|CCAA]] | website = {{URL|https://www.ucmerced.edu|ucmerced.edu}} | logo = Uc merced logo.png | logo_size = 100 | free_label2 = Newspaper | free2 = ''The Prodigy'' | free_label = Other campuses | free = {{hlist|[[Atwater, California|Atwater]]|[[Fresno, California|Fresno]]}} }}
The '''University of California, Merced''' ('''UC Merced''' or colloquially, '''UCM''') is a [[Public university|public]] [[Land-grant university|land-grant]] [[research university]] in [[Merced County, California]], United States.<ref name=MercedCoMapCensus2020p12>{{cite map|author=Geography Division|url=https://www2.census.gov:443/geo/maps/DC2020/DC20BLK/st06_ca/county/c06047_merced/DC20BLK_C06047.pdf|title=2020 Census - Census Block Map: Merced County, CA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|place=[[Suitland, Maryland]]|date=April 14, 2021|page=12 (PDF p. 13/57)|access-date=2025-12-05}}</ref> Established in 2005, UC Merced is the tenth and newest campus in the [[University of California]] (UC) system.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fast Facts |url=http://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts |publisher=UC Merced |date=November 2014 |access-date=January 10, 2015 |archive-date=September 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925144847/http://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts |url-status=dead }}</ref> The main campus is around {{convert|810|acre|ha|abbr=off}} in size and located around {{convert|5|mi|km}} north of the city of [[Merced, California|Merced]] and sits adjacent to [[Lake Yosemite]]. The campus is adjacent to large swaths of protected natural [[grassland]]s and [[vernal pool]]s, which have shaped its development, capital planning, and research.
UC Merced offers over 60 undergraduate degrees and 18 graduate and professional degrees, with 8,372 undergraduates and 738 graduate students enrolled as of fall 2024. In 2025 the university was [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education|classified]] as an R1 Carnegie research institution becoming the only R1 institution in the Central Valley and one of the youngest universities ever to attain the designation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup |url=https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/view_institution.php?unit_id=110653 |publisher=Center for Postsecondary Education |website=carnegieclassifications.iu.edu |access-date=8 March 2025 |archive-date=July 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720044949/https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/view_institution.php?unit_id=110653 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Duouerri |first=Any |date=2025-02-13 |title=California colleges and universities get new research activity Carnegie classifications |url=https://edsource.org/updates/california-colleges-and-universities-get-new-research-activity-carnegie-classifications |access-date=2026-04-06 |website=EdSource |language=en}}</ref>
==History== The establishment of the University of California, Merced was the result of decades of work including political lobbying, environmental review, and demographic analysis. The process to create the university was driven by the increasing population of the San Joaquin Valley and the lack of educational access in the region.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Livinal |first=Rachel |date=2025-12-23 |title=California’s youngest public university is 20 years old. Is it meeting its purpose? |url=https://www.turlockjournal.com/news/education/californias-youngest-public-university-is-20-years-old-is-it-meeting-its-purpose/ |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=www.turlockjournal.com}}</ref>
=== Early years === In the early 1980s, the [[Regents of the University of California]] initiated a formal process to identify a location for a new University of California campus. At the time, the San Joaquin Valley stood out as the largest and most densely populated region in the state that lacked a UC presence. On May 19, 1988, the [[UC Regents]] voted to move forward with a plan to establish a new campus in this region. This decision was largely influenced by mounting enrollment pressures known as "Tidal Wave II"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Atkinson |first=Richard C. |date=1999-04-14 |title=Prepare Now for the Next Wave |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-apr-14-me-27100-story.html |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> where the children of baby boomers would start to enroll in college increasing demand across the existing campuses.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gordon |first=Larry |date=1988-10-21 |title=UC Must Build 3 New Campuses to Meet Expected Enrollment Boom, Regents Told |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-21-mn-4506-story.html |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tomlinson-Keasey |first=Carol |date=2007 |title=A delicate dance |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/he.263 |journal=New Directions for Higher Education |language=en |volume=2007 |issue=139 |pages=13–26 |doi=10.1002/he.263|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 1989, the Regents further authorized then UC President [[David P. Gardner]] to begin the planning process for up to three new campuses to meet these educational demands.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gordon |first=Larry |date=1988-10-21 |title=UC Must Build 3 New Campuses to Meet Expected Enrollment Boom, Regents Told |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-21-mn-4506-story.html |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gordon |first=Larry |date=1988-11-18 |title=UC Takes First Step Toward 3 New Campuses |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-18-mn-450-story.html |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> Attention quickly turned toward the San Joaquin Valley, which, despite its size and significance, had yet to be served by a UC institution.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE2D81239F935A15752C1A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 |title=Battle for California Campus Waged Far From Urban Glow |newspaper=[[New York Times]] | date=November 26, 1988 | access-date=2008-01-27 |last=Reinhold|first=Robert}}</ref> Residents of the region who wanted to attend a UC campus had to travel significant distances to coastal cities or the Sacramento area which in turn contributed to lower rates of educational attainment in the region compared to the rest of the state.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Danenberg |first=Anne |title=Student and school indicators for youth in California's Central Valley |last2=Jepsen |first2=Christopher |last3=Cerdán |first3=Pedro |date=2002 |publisher=Public Policy Institute of California |others=Public Policy Institute of California |isbn=978-1-58213-060-6 |location=San Francisco, Calif}}</ref>
A wide range of expert consultant teams comprising biologists, engineers, economists, cultural resource analysts, and academic planners were assembled to analyze the eight Preferred sites. This phase of the review also included major public forums organized by the UC Site Selection Task Force, held in key cities such as [[Bakersfield]], [[Fresno]], and [[Modesto]]. Hundreds of stakeholders, including community leaders, local residents, and elected officials, attended these meetings to express their opinions and discuss how the campus would impact their region. By 1992, the field was narrowed once more, this time to three final contenders: Fresno, Madera, and Merced.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fontana |first=Cyndee |date=1993-05-22 |title=UC Valley: The dream is dead |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/706756293/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Fresno Bee |location=Fresno, California, United States of America |pages=1, 12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Carter |first=Lori |date=1993-05-22 |title=Redents' actions called "shell game" |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/706756293/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Fresno Bee |location=Fresno, California, United States of America |pages=1, 12}}</ref> However, plans for selecting a final site were temporarily stalled due to economic constraints and statewide budget issues, delaying any progress until 1993.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1992-08-07 |title=UC officials propone new campus decision |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/68277582/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=Santa Cruz Sentinel |location=Santa Cruz, California, United States of America |pages=5 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mejia |first=Marisol Cuellar |url=https://www.ppic.org/publication/strengthening-californias-transfer-pathway/ |title=Strengthening California’s Transfer Pathway |last2=Johnson |first2=Hans |last3=Perez |first3=Cesar Alesi |last4=Jackson |first4=Jacob |publisher=Public Policy Institute of California |year=2023 |language=en}}</ref>
Some state lawmakers expressed skepticism toward the project's feasibility: State Senator [[John Burton (American politician)|John Burton]] called the proposal the “biggest [[boondoggle]] ever.”<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Ashton |first=Adam |date=2005-09-03 |title=Years of hard work pay off |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/800799775 |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Merced Sun-Star |location=Merced, California, United States of America |pages=54–56}}</ref> Additional delays occurred when environmental impact assessments for the Madera and Merced sites were found to be inadequate or incomplete, leading to a new round of reviews.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fontana |first=Cyndee |date=1995-03-02 |editor-last=LaMont |editor-first=Sanders |title=UC site finalists restudied |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/696955859 |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Modesto Bee |location=Modesto, California, United States of America |pages=14 |volume=118 |issue=61 |agency=McClatchy}}</ref> Ultimately, on May 19, 1995, the Regents of the University of California made the final decision to locate the new campus in [[Merced, California|Merced]], choosing it over the other two finalist sites in [[Madera, California|Madera]] and [[Fresno, California|Fresno]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Desrochers |first=Lindsay A. |date=September 2007 |title=A fragile birth |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/he.264 |journal=New Directions for Higher Education |language=en |volume=2007 |issue=139 |pages=27–38 |doi=10.1002/he.264|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tafoya |first=Carolyn |date=1995-05-24 |title=Parade set to welcome UC Merced |work=Merced Sun-Star |pages=1}}</ref>
=== Development === After the University of California completed its site selection process, officials at the state, regional, and local levels launched efforts to craft comprehensive planning and conservation strategies necessary to address the various development challenges associated with the UC Merced project. In October 1996, the [[County of Merced]] revised its General Plan, formally designating a Specific Urban Development Plan (SUDP) area and outlining a series of long term [[planning|public planning]] goals intended to shape development over the coming decades. Among the priorities set forth in this plan were commitments to [[agriculture|protecting farmland]], conserving natural [[wetland]] and other environmental resources, promoting sustainable [[urban development|growth]], and ensuring that the UC Merced campus would be constructed in a timely and environmentally conscious manner. In April 1997, the City of Merced expanded its sphere of influence to incorporate the SUDP area and agreed to collaborate closely with Merced County to facilitate the project's advancement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.countyofmerced.com/100/General-Plan|title=Merced County General Plan|work=countyofmerced|accessdate=29 May 2025}}</ref>
In February 1998, a formal partnership was established between the [[University of California]], [[Merced County]], the City of Merced, the Virginia Smith Trust, and the Merced Irrigation District. This collaborative team initiated the Concept Planning Phase for the envisioned University Community. As part of this initiative, Merced County adopted a “Guidance Package,” which aimed to establish a framework for evaluating and managing university related development to ensure that it remained consistent with the existing General Plan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/minutes/1999/ucmerced799.pdf|title=University Community Concept Report|work=universityofcalifornia|accessdate=29 May 2025}}</ref> This planning process culminated with the publication of the University Community Concept Report in May 1999, a foundational document that helped guide future steps. Simultaneously, discussions began between university and county representatives and federal and state permitting agencies to streamline approvals for Section 404 permits and other regulatory clearances. At the time, most early planning efforts were concentrated on the [[Lake Yosemite]] area, located adjacent to the proposed campus footprint. The proximity of the lake was seen as a significant asset, both for its aesthetic appeal and its ability to distinguish UC Merced from the other UC campuses.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web2.co.merced.ca.us/pdfs/planning/cplan/completed/university/final_university_community_plan.pdf|title=Merced County University Community Plan|work=universityofcalifornia|accessdate=29 May 2025}}</ref>
[[File:UCM library.jpg|thumb|Kolligian Library, one of the first buildings built on campus]]
Progress on the project received a major boost in March 1996 when California voters approved Proposition 203, the Public Education Facilities Bond Act.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_203%2C_School_Bond_Measure_%28March_1996%29|title=California Proposition 203, School Bond Measure (March 1996)|work=ballotpedia|accessdate=29 May 2025}}</ref> This bond initiative authorized the allocation of funds for constructing new public education facilities, including those within the UC system.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal |date=1996-01-01 |title=Voter Information Guide for 1996, Primary |url=https://repository.uchastings.edu/ca_ballot_props/1141 |journal=Propositions}}</ref> To supplement this, Assemblymember [[Dennis Cardoza]] secured an additional $55 million in dedicated state funds for UC Merced, with the explicit intention of ensuring the project would not impact the financial standing of the other nine UC campuses.<ref name=":5" /> In 1999, the Regents of the University of California appointed [[Carol Tomlinson-Keasey]] as UC Merced's founding [[chancellor]], a key figure who proved instrumental in advocating for continued state support and funding.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Eich |first=Rich |title=Truth, Trust + Tenacity: How Ordinary People Become Extraordinary Leaders |publisher=Second City Publishing |year=2015 |isbn=978-1517061838 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|agency=UCSC Currents |date=19 July 1999 |url=https://currents.ucsc.edu/99-00/07-19/ucop.merced.htm|title=UC names first chancellor for Merced campus|publisher=UCSC|access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref>
To meet environmental standards, a formal wetland delineation following the 1987 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers guidelines was conducted, along with extensive biological surveys throughout 1999 and 2000. These surveys targeted a wide range of species including rare [[vernal pool]] invertebrates, [[plants]], [[amphibians]], and [[mammals]] to assess potential ecological constraints. Given the sensitivity of these habitats, UC and Merced County launched a detailed evaluation of fifteen alternative sites within eastern Merced County to determine if any offered fewer environmental conflicts while still meeting institutional and community development goals.
These studies led to the creation of the Comprehensive Alternatives Analysis (CAA), which ultimately recommended relocating the main campus site. The new site, situated on the grounds of the former Merced Hills Golf Course, was located approximately three miles south of the original location, but still within Virginia Smith Trust property.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mvpgr.ucmerced.edu/sites/mvpgr.ucmerced.edu/files/documents/reports/uc_merced_biological_opinion_usfws_2002-compressed.pdf|title=Comprehensive Alternatives Analysis (CAA)|work=mvpgr|accessdate=29 May 2025}}</ref> In addition, the planned University Community was shifted southward off of highly sensitive environmental lands and closer to established urban areas and infrastructure, bringing the project into greater alignment with the City of [[Merced]]’s existing development patterns. By early 2001, both the university and Merced County had each prepared their own Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) for the revised campus and community plans. At the same time, UC pursued federal environmental permits to facilitate future expansion beyond the original golf course site.
The passage of Proposition 203 represented a pivotal moment, marking the first time bond money could be used to construct new buildings in both the UC and [[California State University]] systems.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal |date=1996-01-01 |title=Voter Information Guide for 1996, Primary |url=https://repository.uchastings.edu/ca_ballot_props/1141 |journal=Propositions}}</ref> In March 2001, the [[David and Lucile Packard Foundation]] pledged more than $11 million to help the University of California acquire the full 7,030 acres of land held by the Virginia Smith Trust.<ref>{{Cite news|agency=UCM News|date=20 March 2001|url=https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2001/packard-foundation-donates-more-11-million-university-california-acquisition-proposed|title=Packard Foundation Donates More Than $11 Million To University Of California For Acquisition Of Proposed Merced Campus Site|publisher=UCM|access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref> This agreement led to the creation of a 5,030-acre [[Nature reserve|protected reserve]] consisting of critical vernal pool ecosystems, while the remaining 2,000 acres were designated for university use. Of that, 750 acres were immediately set aside for inclusion in the UC [[Natural Reserve System]]. The Virginia Smith Trust used the sale proceeds to strengthen its [[Financial endowment|scholarship fund]], retire outstanding debt from the Merced Hills Golf Course project, and reinvest in the surrounding community's long-term development goals.<ref>{{cite news|title=University of California to Acquire Virginia Smith Trust Land and Augment Trust Endowment with $11 Million Packard Grant|url=http://www.ucmerced.edu/news/2001/university-california-acquire-virginia-smith-trust-land-and-augment-trust-endowment-11 |publisher=University News|date=March 20, 2001}}</ref>
Although the university initially planned to conserve around {{convert|5,030|acre}} of vernal pool habitat,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Federal Register, Volume 67 Issue 185 (Tuesday, September 24, 2002) |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2002-09-24/html/02-23241.htm |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=www.govinfo.gov}}</ref> this figure was later expanded to approximately {{convert|6,428|acre}}, resulting in the formal establishment of the Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve, now part of the broader [[University of California Natural Reserve System]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mvpgr.ucmerced.edu/|title=Merced Vernal Pools & Grassland Reserve|work=mvpgr|accessdate=29 May 2025}}</ref> The site where UC Merced would ultimately rise had originally been developed as a public golf course during the early 1990s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Merced Hills Golf Course History|url=https://mvpgr.ucmerced.edu/about/history|publisher=Merced Vernal Pools & Grassland Reserve|date=May 29, 2025}}</ref> However, when endangered [[Conservancy fairy shrimp|fairy shrimp]] were discovered at the originally selected site, the project was relocated. Since the golf course land had already been disturbed and was thus exempt from many of the environmental issues, it proved a much more feasible alternative.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Birth of a Research University: UC Merced, No Small Miracle {{!}} Center for Studies in Higher Education |url=https://cshe.berkeley.edu/publications/birth-research-university-uc-merced-no-small-miracle-0 |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=cshe.berkeley.edu}}</ref>
UC Merced had opened a small administrative office at [[Merced College]] in 1997,<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Reiter |first=Carol |date=2009-05-16 |title=UC has been 20 years in making |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/784301723 |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=Merced Sun-Star |location=Merced, California, United States of America |pages=6}}</ref> and in 1999 constructed a temporary office on the grounds of the decommissioned [[Castle Air Force Base|Castle Airforce Base]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jones |first=Gary |date=1999-11-12 |title=JPA split between UC, KidsPeace delays vote on Castle building lease |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/800434772/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Merced Sun-Star |location=Merced, California, United States of America |pages=2}}</ref> In 2001, UC Merced expanded further by opening a satellite center in downtown [[Bakersfield, California]] within its University Square area.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2001-05-23 |title=UC Merced reaches out to Kern County with center |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/697022652/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Merced Sun-Star |location=Merced, California, United States of America |pages=38}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=UC Merced Campus Gets Key Grant|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-mar-20-mn-40160-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 20, 2001}}</ref> This site provided outreach and services including college prep courses and counseling for students across [[Kern County]] and the broader southern San Joaquin Valley. However, the Bakersfield center was permanently closed in 2011 as part of UC Merced's efforts to manage expenses and balance its operating budget.<ref>{{cite web|title=UC Merced - Bakersfield Center Grand Opening|url=http://www.ucmerced.edu/news/2001/uc-merced-bakersfield-center-grand-opening |website=UC Merced University News|access-date=27 May 2015|date=December 12, 2001}}</ref>
=== Recent history === The campus [[groundbreaking]] ceremony was held October 25, 2002, and the first day of undergraduate classes was September 6, 2005 with 706 freshmen, 132 transfer students, and 37 graduate students.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Merritt |first=Karen |date=2007 |title=Introduction: Why a new research university at Merced? |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/he.262 |journal=New Directions for Higher Education |language=en |volume=2007 |issue=139 |pages=3–9 |doi=10.1002/he.262|url-access=subscription }}</ref> First Lady [[Michelle Obama]] gave the commencement address for the university's first full graduating class.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mercedsunstar.com/incoming/article3241511.html |title=First lady tells grads to remember who helped them |author=William Douglas |author2=Danielle Gains |name-list-style=amp |newspaper=[[Merced Sun-Star]] |date=May 16, 2009 |access-date=January 11, 2015}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> The campaign to bring Michelle Obama to campus was started by the students of the graduating class where they wrote over 900 cards asking her to come.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fontana |first=Cyndee |date=2009-04-29 |title=Commencement stir |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/664617730/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |work=The Park City Daily News |location=Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States of America |pages=4B |agency=McClatchy Newspapers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=McKinley |first=Jesse |date=May 16, 2009 |title=First Lady Speaks to Graduates Who Inspired Her |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/us/politics/17michelle.html |access-date=2024-09-16 |work=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York, New York, United States of America}}</ref> The commencement was the First Lady's first commencement speaker event.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Burke |first=Garance |date=2009-05-17 |title=Michelle Obama urges graduates to be helpful |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/777755020 |access-date=2024-09-16 |work=Ventura County Star |location=Ventura, California, United States of America |pages=5 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
With the start of the [[Great Recession in the United States|great recession]] between 2007 and 2009 the University of California was hit with budget cuts by the state.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Krupnick |first=Matt |date=2008-01-11 |title=Public colleges dreading effects of budget cuts |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/875821738/ |access-date=2023-08-31 |work=Oakland Tribune |location=Oakland, California, United States of America |pages=12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Patton |first=Victor |date=2008-03-09 |title=UC Merced chief: Campus cannot afford budget cuts |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/698110065 |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Modesto Bee |pages=16}}</ref> During this time [[Andrew Scull]] and 22 other faculty members from [[University of California, San Diego|UC San Diego]] authored a letter calling for UC Merced, [[UC Riverside]], and [[UC Santa Cruz]] to be closed as a way to save money.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2009-07-11 |title=UC San Diego: Close UC Merced |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/280544244/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Californian |location=Salinas, California, United States of America |pages=10 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gaines |first=Danielle |date=2009-07-09 |title=Pros target UC Merced |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/784324687 |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=Merced Sun-Star |location=Merced, California, United States of America |pages=1}}</ref> Their reasoning was that these institutions were "in substantial measure teaching institutions".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ruggiero |first=Angela |date=2009-08-13 |title=UCSD professors suggest closing UCs |url=https://theaggie.org/2009/08/13/ucsd-professors-suggest-closing-ucs/ |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=The Aggie |language=en-US |publication-place=Davis, California, United States of America}}</ref> In response to this UC President [[Mark Yudof]]f wrote a letter to the leaders of all ten campuses to assure them that there would be no campus closures.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=December 9, 2011 |title=Proposal to Close the U.C. Merced Campus {{!}} ABC30 Fresno {{!}} abc30.com |url=https://abc30.com/archive/6907862/ |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=ABC30 Fresno |language=en-US |publication-place=Fresno, California, United States of America}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Allen |first=Charlotte |date=2012-04-23 |editor-last=Kristol |editor-first=William |title=Boondoggle U. |url=https://archive.org/details/the-weekly-standard-2012-04-23 |access-date=2024-08-31 |magazine=The Weekly Standard |publisher=Clarity Media Group |location=Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America}}</ref> [[File:UC Merced logo.svg|thumb|The logo for the University of California, Merced prior to 2022]]
In 2010, the new student housing facilities, The Summits, opened to provide two additional residential halls for incoming students. The two four-story buildings, Tenaya Hall and Cathedral Hall, are reserved primarily for incoming freshmen students. Three years later, another housing facility, Half Dome, was built next to the existing Tenaya and Cathedral Halls. Half Dome houses both freshman and continuing students.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://housing.ucmerced.edu/housing/summits |title=The Summits | Housing & Residence Life |website=Housing.ucmerced.edu |access-date=2017-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309053427/http://housing.ucmerced.edu/housing/summits |archive-date=2017-03-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2010, the [[United States Census Bureau]] made UC Merced its own separate [[census-designated place]].<ref name="GeologicalSurvey" /> The university is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP)<ref name="GeologicalSurvey">{{Cite GNIS|type=retired|2583172|University of California, Merced}}</ref> that is uninhabited as of both the 2010 and 2020 census.<ref>{{USCensus2010CA}}</ref> In addition to lacking population the university covers all of its land in this census-designated place.
In January 2015, UC Merced was nationally classified with the [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education|Carnegie Classification]] for community engagement, along with [[University of California, Davis|UC Davis]] and [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Campus Gains National Recognition for Community Engagement |url=http://www.ucmerced.edu/news/2015/campus-gains-national-recognition-community-engagement|publisher=University News|date=2015-01-07}}</ref> Later that year the University of California started the push to expand the campus capacity to 10,000 students<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 22, 2015 |title=Newsroom |url=https://archive.org/details/KQED_20150822_090000_KQED_Newsroom |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=KQED PBS |location=San Francisco, California, United States of America}}</ref> and double its square footage as part of Project 2020.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Velez |first=Monica |date=2020-09-25 |title=More students expected as UC Merced finishes expansion |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/677591618 |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=The Fresno Bee |pages=A2}}</ref> The expansion would be the largest growth in both buildings and students on campus to date, and includes dorms, offices, classrooms and recreation areas.<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Thaddeus |date=2016-06-25 |title=UC Merced has big plans for expansion |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/706398579 |access-date=2023-08-31 |work=Merced Sun-Star |pages=A4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jansen |first=Shawn |date=2019-09-21 |title=UC Merced lauds opening of labs, recreation field |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/706593062 |access-date=2024-08-31 |work=Merced Sun-Star |pages=A1}}</ref>
On November 4, 2015, 18-year-old student Faisal Mohammad [[University of California, Merced stabbing attack|stabbed and injured four people]] with a hunting knife before being shot to death by a campus police officer.<ref>Bergen, P., Sterman, D., Ford, A., & Sims, A. (2017). Jihadist terrorism 16 years after 9/11: A threat assessment.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newamerica.org/international-security/policy-papers/jihadist-terrorism-16-years-after-911-threat-assessment/|title=Jihadist Terrorism 16 Years after 9/11: A Threat Assessment|first1=Peter|last1=Bergen|first2=David|last2=Sterman|first3=Albert|last3=Ford|first4=Alyssa|last4=Sims|website=[[New America (organization)|New America]]|date=September 11, 2017|access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref>
In November 2015, the Regents of the University of California approved a $1.14 billion proposal, known as the 2020 Plan, to double the capacity of UC Merced, boosting its enrollment by nearly 4,000 students. The new buildings were completed in early 2021.<ref>{{cite news |date=2017-12-01 |title=The next great step for the University of California, Merced |newspaper=UC Merced |url=https://merced2020.ucmerced.edu}}</ref> In April 2019, the school's student government, the Associated Students of UC Merced, cut off funding for UC Merced's only student-run newspaper, ''The Prodigy''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailycal.org/2019/04/26/uc-merced-student-newspaper-to-lose-only-source-of-funding|title=UC Merced student newspaper to lose only source of funding|first=Marlena|last=Tavernier-Fine|website=[[The Daily Californian]]|publisher=[[University of California, Berkeley]]|date=April 26, 2019|access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref>
UC Merced claims to be the only institution in the United States all of whose buildings have been [[Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design|LEED]] certified. Its Triple Net Zero Commitment is expected to create zero net landfill waste and zero net greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sustainability.ucmerced.edu/area-stakeholders|title=Awards|date=2015|publisher=UC Merced|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20140901165639/http://sustainability.ucmerced.edu/area-stakeholders|archive-date=2014-09-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facilitiesnet.com/green/article/UC-Merced-Earns-11th-LEED-Certification-2nd-Platinum--14510#|title=UC Merced Earns 11th LEED Certification, 2nd Platinum|last1=Maxwell|first1=Mark|date=November 2013|publisher=Facilities Net}}</ref>
UC Merced announced a partnership with [[University of California, San Francisco|UCSF]] and [[UCSF School of Medicine|UCSF Fresno]] to create a new medical school program by the year 2026, with support from governor [[Gavin Newsom]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-25 |title=Governor Newsom Visits UC Merced, Highlights Equity Efforts of Future Medical School |url=https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/10/25/governor-newsom-visits-uc-merced-highlights-equity-efforts-of-future-medical-school/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=California Governor |language=en}}</ref> The SJV Prime Program which opened its doors in 2011,<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=UC Prime Program Legislative Report |url=https://www.ucop.edu/operating-budget/_files/legreports/2021-22/uc_prime_legrpt.pdf |website=University of California, Office of the President}}</ref> is part of the upcoming UC Merced School of Medicine. It is specifically focused on preparing and training students to become future doctors who will serve the underserved communities in the Central Valley of California. The SJV Prime program at UC Merced is a unique initiative designed to address the healthcare needs of the area, a region in California that faces significant health disparities due to its socio-economic challenges, high levels of poverty, and a shortage of healthcare professionals.<ref name=":11">{{Cite report |url=https://www.ucop.edu/uc-health/_files/sjv-health-workforce-report-july-2017.pdf |title=Current & Future Health Professions Workforce Needs in the San Joaquin Valley |last=Coffman |first=Janet |last2=Bates |first2=Timothy |last3=Geyn |first3=Igor |date=July 2017 |publisher=Healthforce Center at UCSF}}</ref> UC Merced's School of Medicine also collaborates with UC San Francisco medical schools, which strengthens educational opportunities available to SJV Prime students and connects them to broader networks of medical professionals.<ref name=":10" /> It is an innovative medical education pathway that allows students to complete four years of an undergraduate degree followed by four years of medical school, with a focus on producing healthcare providers who are committed to serving the underserved communities of the San Joaquin Valley.<ref name=":11" />
In early February in 2025, UC Merced earned R1 status from the [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education]].<ref>{{cite web|title=UC Merced awarded prestigious R1 status|url=https://www.theriverbanknews.com/news/uc-merced-awarded-prestigious-r1-status/|website=www.theriverbanknews.com|access-date=31 May 2025}}</ref> With the designation UC Merced became the only R1 university in the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]]. It was announced by the [[American Council on Education]] and came less than twenty years after UC Merced opened in 2005, making it one of the youngest institutes to ever attain the classification.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ortiz |first=Brenda |date=2025-02-13 |title=UC Merced Achieves R1: Highest Tier of Research Classification|url=https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2025/uc-merced-achieves-r1-highest-tier-research-classification|access-date=2025-05-31 |work=UC Merced News |location=Merced, California, United States of America |pages=1 |agency=UCM}}</ref>
==Organization and administration==
===Governance=== Being one of the ten general campuses of the [[University of California]] system, UC Merced is governed by a 26-member [[Regents of the University of California|Board of Regents]] consisting of 18 officials appointed by the [[Governor of California]], seven ''[[ex officio]]'' members, and a single student regent. The current president of the University of California is [[Michael V. Drake|Michael Drake]], and the [[Chancellor (education)|administrative head]] of UC Merced is [[Juan Sánchez Muñoz]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/aboutuc/governance.html |title=Governance at UC |publisher=[[University of California]] |access-date=July 18, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204194008/https://universityofcalifornia.edu/aboutuc/governance.html |archive-date=December 4, 2008}}</ref> Academic policies are set by each of the school's Academic Senate, and a legislative body including all university faculty members.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://senate.ucsd.edu/aboutus.htm |title=About the UCSD Senate |publisher=University of California, San Diego |access-date=April 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529012640/http://senate.ucsd.edu/aboutus.htm |archive-date=May 29, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Nine vice chancellors manage academic affairs, research, diversity, marine sciences, student affairs, planning, external relations, business affairs, and health sciences and report directly to the chancellor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/PPM/docs/10-0.pdf |publisher=University of California, San Diego |title=UCSD Administrative Organization Chart |access-date=April 18, 2009 |archive-date=December 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203041401/http://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/PPM/docs/10-0.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[Carol Tomlinson-Keasey]] was the first [[chancellor]] of the university and held the position from 1999 until she resigned on August 31, 2006.<ref>{{cite news|last=McLellan|first=Dennis|title=Carol Tomlinson-Keasey dies at 66; founding chancellor of UC Merced|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 13, 2009|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-carol-tomlinson-keasey13-2009oct13,0,6326141.story|access-date=October 27, 2009}}</ref> On September 21, 2006, the Regents named Roderic B. Park, a former interim chancellor at the [[University of Colorado at Boulder]], as the acting chancellor for UC Merced.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ucmerced.edu/news_articles/09212006_uc_president_appoints_roderic.asp |title= U C Merced - UC President Appoints Roderic Park Acting Chancellor of UC Merced|website=www.ucmerced.edu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320030608/http://www.ucmerced.edu/news_articles/09212006_uc_president_appoints_roderic.asp |archive-date=March 20, 2007}}</ref> Park remained acting chancellor until [[Sung Mo Kang|Sung-Mo (Steve) Kang]], Dean of the [[Baskin School of Engineering]] at [[University of California, Santa Cruz|UC Santa Cruz]], took office in early March 2007. Kang held the position until 2011.
After a nationwide search, on May 24, 2011, the Regents of the University of California named [[Dorothy Leland]], then president of [[Georgia College & State University]], to be the university's newest chancellor. On May 13, 2019, Leland announced that she would be stepping down from her position, effective August 15, 2019.<ref>{{cite news | title = Dorothy Leland to Step Down as UC Merced Chancellor | date = May 13, 2019 | website=UC Merced | url = https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2019/dorothy-leland-step-down-uc-merced-chancellor}}</ref> UC Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Nathan Brostrom served as interim chancellor until July 2020.<ref>{{cite news | title = Nathan Brostrom Named Interim Chancellor of UC Merced | date = May 16, 2019 | website=UC Merced | url = https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2019/nathan-brostrom-named-interim-chancellor-uc-merced}}</ref> In July 2020, [[Juan Sánchez Muñoz]], then president of [[University of Houston–Downtown|University of Houston-Downtown]], was appointed to the position of Chancellor.<ref>{{Cite web|title=UC Merced Welcomes Juan Sánchez Muñoz as Fourth Chancellor {{!}} Newsroom|url=https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2020/uc-merced-welcomes-juan-s%C3%A1nchez-mu%C3%B1oz-fourth-chancellor#:~:text=And%20today,%20the%20university%20welcomes,Houston-Downtown%20(UHD).|access-date=2021-10-07|website=news.ucmerced.edu}}</ref>
===Funding=== UC Merced gets funding from a variety of federal, state, and private sources. With the exception of some government contracts, public support is apportioned to UC Merced and the other campuses of the University of California system through the UC Office of the President and accounts for a large percentage of the university's total revenues.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailycal.org/2013/02/20/uc-berkeley-looks-to-philanthropy/|title=UC Berkeley looks to philanthropy in place of state funding|last=Berryhill|first=Alex|date=February 20, 2013|newspaper=[[The Daily Californian]]|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>
==Academics== UC Merced has three schools offering 27 undergraduate majors and 25 minors:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ucmerced.edu/academics|title=Academics | UC Merced|website=Ucmerced.edu|access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ucmerced.edu/academics-undergraduate-majors-minors|title=UC Merced Majors and Minors|website=University of California, Merced|access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref>
* [[UC Merced School of Engineering|School of Engineering]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wright |first=Jeff R. |date=2007 |title=Building the school of engineering |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/he.266 |journal=New Directions for Higher Education |language=en |volume=2007 |issue=139 |pages=49–59 |doi=10.1002/he.266|url-access=subscription }}</ref> * School of Natural Sciences * School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts
In 2011, the campus was granted [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accreditation]] by [[Western Association of Schools and Colleges|WASC]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wascsenior.org/institutions/university-california-merced |title=University of California, Merced | WASC Senior College and University Commission |language=wa |website=Wascsenior.org |date=2011-06-24 |access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref> In 2014, the School of Engineering received an [[ABET]] accreditation for the Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://engineering.ucmerced.edu/academics/accreditation |title=ABET Accreditation | School of Engineering |website=Engineering.ucmerced.edu |access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref>
The university is also home to the CCBM Summer Internship Program, an undergraduate [[research fellow]]ship for non-UC Merced students sponsored by the NSF CREST Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ccbm.ucmerced.edu/education/undergraduate/CSIP|title=CCBM Summer Internship Program {{!}} Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines|website=ccbm.ucmerced.edu|access-date=2020-04-22}}</ref> The campus takes advantage of the surrounding environment by investigating issues relating to environmental systems of the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]] and [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]], and of its youth by having programs in genetic research conducted in state-of-the-art research labs. It also benefits from proximity to [[Silicon Valley]] and other major universities.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} Research in fields like language acquisition and cultural issues is facilitated by the highly diverse ethnic makeup of the Central Valley.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} UC Merced operates on a semester system rather than the quarter system for its [[academic term]]. The [[University of California, Berkeley|Berkeley]] campus is the only other UC campus on a semester system.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Robbins|first=Gary|date=19 February 2020|title=UC San Diego might switch to semester system to ease stress on students|work=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2020-02-19/uc-san-diego-might-switch-from-quarter-to-semester-say-to-ease-stress-on-students|access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref>
Exclusive to UC Merced, The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) PRIME+ program, is an academic program that combines four years of undergraduate work with four years of medical school.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |date=2024-05-16 |title=Following the mission to improve Central Valley health care |url=https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/following-mission-improve-central-valley-health-care |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=University of California |language=en}}</ref> The program offers students a diverse range of academic majors, also offered to the other students at the university, designed to prepare them for healthcare and medical sciences. Students in the undergraduate portion of their education can choose from specialized tracks that align with their academic interests and career goals that include four main areas: [[biological sciences]], [[bioengineering]], [[chemistry]], or [[public health]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=SJV PRIME+ {{!}} BS to MD Pathway {{!}} Undergraduate Admissions |url=https://admissions.ucmerced.edu/SJVP-BStoMD |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=admissions.ucmerced.edu}}</ref> The medical school portion emphasizes not only advanced medical knowledge but also the development of skills necessary for providing care in underserved and rural communities, particularly in the central valley.<ref name=":9" /> These courses address the unique healthcare needs of the Central Valley's residents, including agricultural workers, immigrant populations, and low-income families.<ref name=":9" /> Students in the program study the challenges faced by rural healthcare providers, such as workforce shortages, limited healthcare access, and the higher prevalence of certain diseases in agricultural communities as well as preventative care for these issues.<ref name=":9" />
===Rankings=== {{Infobox US university ranking <!-- National rankings -->| Forbes_NU = 173 | USNWR_NU = 58 <small>(tie)</small> | Wamo_NU = 72 | WSJ_NU = 59 <!-- Global rankings -->| QS_W = | THE_W = 401–500 | USNWR_W = 698 <small>(tie)</small> | ARWU_W = 501–600 }} {|class="wikitable floatright" style="width: 22em;" |+2021 USNWR Best Regional Colleges West Rankings<ref name="USNWR_Overall">{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-california-merced-4127/overall-rankings|title=University of California--Merced - Graduate School Rankings|magazine=U.S. News & World Report|year=2023|access-date=December 16, 2024}}</ref> |- | Top Performers on [[Social Mobility]] || 5 |- | Top [[Public university|Public Schools]] || 42 |- | Best [[Value investing|Value]] Schools || 185 |- | Best [[Undergraduate]] [[Engineering]] Programs || 123 (at schools whose highest degree is a doctorate) |- |} {|class="wikitable floatright" style="width: 22em;" |+2025 USNWR graduate school rankings<ref name="USNWR_Overall2">{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/university-of-california-merced-445188/overall-rankings|title=University of California--Merced - Graduate School Rankings |magazine=U.S. News & World Report|year=2025|access-date=December 16, 2024}}</ref> |- | [[Political Science]] | 52 |- | [[Sociology]] | 64 |- | [[Psychology]] | 95 |- | [[Computer Science]] | 103 |- | [[Chemistry]] | 136 |- | [[Engineering]] | 106 |- | [[Mathematics]] | 125 |- | [[Physics]] | 113 |- | [[Biological Sciences]] | 144 |}
UC Merced was ranked 58th (tie)<ref>{{Cite web |title=University of California, Merced |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-california-merced-4127 |url-status= |access-date=22 May 2025 |website=U.S. News & World Report - 2025 Ranking of National Universities}}</ref> in the 2025 ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' rankings of ''"Best National Universities"'' (out of a total of 436 national universities included in the rankings).<ref name="USNWR">{{cite web |title=University of California, Merced Rankings |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-california-merced-4127/overall-rankings |access-date=May 22, 2025 |magazine=U.S. News & World Report - 2025 Rankings of National Universities}}</ref> In the same 2025 rankings, UC Merced was also ranked 26th (tie) in the category of "''Top Public Schools''", ranked 3rd (tie) in "''Top Performers on Social Mobility''", ranked 145th in "''Best Value Schools''", and ranked 139th (tie) in "''Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs''" at schools whose highest degree is a doctorate.<ref name=USNWR/>
In 2024, ''[[Washington Monthly]]'' ranked UC Merced 72nd among 438 national universities in the U.S. based on UC Merced's contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 National University Rankings |url=https://washingtonmonthly.com/2024-college-guide/national/ |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Washington Monthly |language=en-US}}</ref>
{{clear}}
==Admissions and enrollment== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:88%; text-align:center; float:right; clear:right; margin-left:1em" |+ ''First-Time Freshman Profile'' <ref>{{Cite web |title=External Reporting {{!}} Center of Institutional Effectiveness |url=https://cie.ucmerced.edu/analytics-hub/external-reporting |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=cie.ucmerced.edu}}</ref> |- ! ! 2024 ! 2023 ! 2022 ! 2021<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cie.ucmerced.edu/sites/cie.ucmerced.edu/files/page/documents/cds_2021-2022_ucm_c.pdf | title=University of California, Merced Common Data Set 2021-2022}}</ref> ! 2020<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cie.ucmerced.edu/sites/cie.ucmerced.edu/files/page/documents/ucm_cds_2020-2021.xlsx | title=University of California, Merced Common Data Set 2020-2021}}</ref> ! 2019<ref name=CDS>{{cite web|url=https://cie.ucmerced.edu/files/documents/cds_2019-2020_ucm_c.pdf |title=University of California, Merced Common Data Set 2019-2020, Part C |publisher=University of California, Merced}}</ref> ! 2018<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cie.ucmerced.edu/files/documents/cds_2018-2019.pdf |title=University of California, Merced Common Data Set 2018-2019, Part C |publisher=University of California, Merced}}</ref> ! 2017<ref>{{cite web|url=https://irds.ucmerced.edu/sites/irds.ucmerced.edu/files/documents/cds_2017-2018.pdf |title=University of California, Merced Common Data Set 2017-2018, Part C |publisher=University of California, Merced}}</ref> ! 2016<ref>{{cite web|url=https://irds.ucmerced.edu/sites/irds.ucmerced.edu/files/documents/Previous%20CDS/cds_2016-2017.pdf |title=University of California, Merced Common Data Set 2016-2017, Part C |publisher=University of California, Merced}}</ref> ! 2015<ref>{{cite web|url=https://irds.ucmerced.edu/files/documents/Previous%20CDS/CDS%202015-2016.pdf |title=University of California, Merced Common Data Set 2015-2016, Part C |publisher=University of California, Merced}}</ref>
|-align="center" ! Applicants | 31,582|| 30,017|| 28,895|| 27,794 || 25,924 || 25,368 || 25,121 || 22,574 || 20,888 || 18,620 |-align="center" ! Admits | 28,903|| 26,595|| 25,862|| 24,070 || 21,982 || 18,263 || 16,624 || 15,619 || 15,492 || 11,288 |-align="center" ! Admit rate | 91.5%|| 88.6%|| 89.5%|| 86.6% || 84.8% || 72.0%|| 66.2% || 69.2% || 74.2% || 60.6% |-align="center" ! Enrolled | 2,097|| 2,416|| 2,356|| 2,411 || 1,951 || 2,105 || 2,217 || 2,293 || 2,049 || 1,803 |-align="center" ! SAT mid-50% range* | N/A|| N/A|| N/A|| 1140–1390 || 950 – 1140 || 990–1180 || 1000–1190 || NA || 860–1070 || 900–1120 |-align="center" ! ACT mid-50% range | N/A|| N/A|| N/A|| 23 – 32 || 17 – 22 || 17–22 || 18–24 || 18–23 || 18–23 || 19–24 |-align="center" ! Grade Point Avg (GPA) | 3.57|| 3.60|| 3.64|| 3.51 || 3.55 || 3.58 || 3.59 || 3.55 || 3.51 || 3.56 |- |<small>* SAT out of 1600</small> |}
UC Merced received 25,368 undergraduate applications for admission for the Fall 2019 incoming freshman class; 18,263 were admitted (72.0%).<ref name=CDS/>
Undergraduate enrollment in Fall 2019 was 51.7% women, 47.5% men and 0.8% unknown; approximately 99% were from California.<ref name="Enrollment"/>
In 2021 UC Merced received a record-breaking number of applications totaling 30,105 freshman and transfer applications.<ref name="news.ucmerced.edu">{{Cite web |title=UC Merced Receives Highest Number of Applications in Campus's History {{!}} Newsroom |url=https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2021/uc-merced-receives-highest-number-applications-campus%E2%80%99s-history |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=news.ucmerced.edu}}</ref>
The graduate school application pool in 2022 consisted of 40% women and 23% minority students.<ref name="news.ucmerced.edu"/>
== Research institutes == * Health Sciences Research Institute (HSRI)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Health Sciences Research Institute {{!}} A Comprehensive Approach to Research and Innovation |url=https://hsri.ucmerced.edu/ |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=hsri.ucmerced.edu}}</ref> * Sierra Nevada Research Institute (SNRI)<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Traina |first=Sam |date=2007 |title=Creating a research signature: The Sierra Nevada research institute |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/he.268 |journal=New Directions for Higher Education |language=en |volume=2007 |issue=139 |pages=69–73 |doi=10.1002/he.268|url-access=subscription }}</ref> * University of California Advanced Solar Technologies Institute (UC Solar) *NSF CREST Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines (CCBM)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines {{!}} a National Science Foundation Center of Research Excellence in Science and Technology|url=https://ccbm.ucmerced.edu/|access-date=2021-02-01|website=ccbm.ucmerced.edu}}</ref> *Merced nAnomaterials Center for Energy and Sensing (MACES)<ref>{{Cite web|title=UC Merced MACES Center|url=http://maces.ucmerced.edu/|access-date=2021-02-01|website=UCM MACEs Center|language=en-US}}</ref> *[[Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center|Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center (NCPC)]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Balla |first1=Agnes |last2=Forsyth |first2=Andrew |last3=Richmond McKnight |first3=Tracy |date=2020-06-05 |title=University of California Cannabis Research Workshop May 2019 Meeting Summary |journal=Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=183–186 |doi=10.1089/can.2020.0022 |issn=2578-5125 |pmc=7347074 |pmid=32656350}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-09-10 |title=UC Merced creating new center aimed at researching smoking habits in the Central Valley |language=en-US |work=ABC30 Fresno |url=https://abc30.com/uc-merced-education-central-valley-marijuana/4205492/ |access-date=2022-10-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Caiola |first=Sammy |title=Tobacco And Nicotine Research Center To Open At California University |url=https://www.capradio.org/119753 |access-date=2022-10-26 |website=[[CapRadio]]}}</ref>
In 2007, UC Merced researchers obtained nearly $7 million in funding from the [[National Science Foundation]].<ref>{{cite news | last= Doyle | first= Michael | title= UC Merced leads research funds race | url= http://www.modbee.com/local/story/92252.html | publisher= [[The Modesto Bee]] | date= October 13, 2007 | access-date= 2007-10-15 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081202091628/http://www.modbee.com/local/story/92252.html | archive-date= December 2, 2008}}</ref> Grant funding for research has reached over $168.9 million in 2013.<ref name="Fast Facts">{{cite web|title=Fast Facts|url=http://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts|website=UC Merced|publisher=November 2014|access-date=January 10, 2015|archive-date=September 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925144847/http://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Campus == The campus is in an [[unincorporated area]] of Merced County, not in the Merced city limits.<ref name=MercedCoMapCensus2020p12/> A portion of the campus forms a [[census-designated place]].<ref>{{cite map|author=Geography Division|url=https://www2.census.gov:443/geo/maps/DC2020/DC20BLK/st06_ca/place/p0681312_university_of_california-merced/DC20BLK_P0681312.pdf|title=2020 Census - Census Block Map: University of California-Merced CDP, CA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|date=April 10, 2021|access-date=2025-12-05}}</ref> [[File:Glacier Point Dorm UCM.jpg|thumb|Glacier Point Dorm]] The campus is bounded by [[Lake Yosemite]] on one side. Two [[aqueduct (watercourse)|irrigation canals]] run through the campus. The campus master plan was developed by [[Skidmore, Owings & Merrill]], its initial [[infrastructure]] by Arup, and its first buildings were designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Thomas Hacker and Associates, and EHDD Architecture. The library and central power plant have been classified as [[Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design]] Gold structures in terms of their high energy efficiency and low environmental impact.<ref> {{Cite news|url=http://greensource.construction.com/projects/0801_UniversityofCalifornia.asp|title=Case study: University of California, Merced, Enlightening Sustainability: University research facility is a teaching tool for eco-minded students|magazine=GreenSource|access-date=2008-03-03|last=Boehland|first=Jessica|date=January 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512004845/http://greensource.construction.com/projects/0801_UniversityOfCalifornia.asp|archive-date=2008-05-12}}</ref> The campus is located about {{convert|7|mi|km|spell=in}} north of downtown Merced in the middle of a cattle ranch.<ref>{{Cite news | last=McKinley | first=Jesse | title=California's Newest State University Is Short of Students | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/17/education/17merced.html | date=July 26, 2006 | newspaper=[[New York Times]] | access-date=2008-01-16}}</ref>
Rather than build on {{convert|40|acre}} of protected land east of Lake Yosemite, where endangered [[fairy shrimp]] hatch in [[vernal pool]]s, the school has built on a {{convert|230|acre|ha|adj=on}} parcel of grazing land south of campus, under a revised layout. The revised plan covers a total of {{convert|810|acre|ha}} rather than the original {{convert|910|acre|ha}} proposed in 2000.<ref> {{Cite journal|url=http://www.highereducation.org/crosstalk/ct0101/ucmerced.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010702060353/http://www.highereducation.org/crosstalk/ct0101/ucmerced.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 2, 2001|title=The Turbulent History of UC Merced. The University of California's proposed tenth campus encounters thorny environmental problems|journal=National CrossTalk|publisher=National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education|volume=9|issue=1|access-date=2008-03-11|date=Winter 2001|last1=Trombley |first1=William|last2=Irving|first2=Carl}}</ref> The new design was expected to impact a total of {{convert|81|acre}} of native wetlands in the region compared to the {{convert|121|acre}} forecast in the 2000 footprint.<ref>{{cite news|title=UC Merced changes expansion plans to protect sensitive wetlands |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7119471 |newspaper=[[Mercury News]] |date=October 10, 2007 |access-date=2007-10-15 }}{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
The Science and Engineering Building 2 opened in 2014. The Classroom and Office Building 2 opened in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/01/15/1730536/new-science-building-site-dedicated.html|title=New science building site dedicated at UC Merced|website=www.mercedsunstar.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110118011201/http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2011/01/15/1730536/new-science-building-site-dedicated.html|archive-date=January 18, 2011}}</ref>
=== Kolligian Library === The library was the first building to open on campus. During the Fall 2005 semester, while construction of other buildings was still underway, all academic courses were conducted in the library. Its official motto is "Not what other research libraries are, what they will be."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Barclay |first=Donald A. |date=2007 |title=Creating an academic library for the twenty-first century |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/he.271 |journal=New Directions for Higher Education |language=en |volume=2007 |issue=139 |pages=103–115 |doi=10.1002/he.271|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
The library contains more electronic holdings than print holdings, consisting of about 70,000 online journals and 3.965 million electronic books (including 3.15 million [[HathiTrust]] full-text books), compared to 102,000 print books. It provides access to 937 databases.<ref>{{cite web|title=UC Merced Library A-Z Databases|url=https://libguides.ucmerced.edu/az.php|access-date=2022-01-28|website=UC Merced Library}}</ref>
Kolligian is a [[Green building|green library]] and has received [[LEED|LEED Gold certification]].<ref name="SignKolligian">{{cite web|url=http://administration.ucmerced.edu/sites/administration/files/public/documents/SignKolligian.pdf|title=Leo & Dottie Kolligian Library Sign|access-date=20 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227010331/http://administration.ucmerced.edu/sites/administration/files/public/documents/SignKolligian.pdf|archive-date=2012-02-27}}</ref>
== Dormitories == The UC Merced campus has two main areas that contain residence housing on-campus. They offer [https://housing.ucmerced.edu/llc Living Learning Communities (LLCs]) to all students, bringing those together who have similar interests. There is South Campus (Granite Pass, Glacier Point, Sentinel Rock, and El Portal), and North Campus (Half Dome, Tenaya, Cathedral, Mariposa, Tuolomne, and the Valley Terraces).
==Athletics== {{Main|UC Merced Golden Bobcats}}
The UC Merced athletic teams are called the Golden Bobcats. The university is a member of the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA), primarily competing in the [[California Pacific Conference]] (Cal Pac) since the 2011–12 academic year.<ref name="launch">{{cite web|last=Oppenheim|first=Jamie|work=[[Merced Sun-Star]]|url=http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/11/17/1657000/uc-merced-ready-to-launch-intercollegiate.html|title=UC Merced ready to launch intercollegiate sports – almost|date=November 17, 2010|access-date=November 21, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120023213/http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/11/17/1657000/uc-merced-ready-to-launch-intercollegiate.html|archive-date=November 20, 2010}}</ref>
UC Merced competes in nine intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, volleyball and water polo.
===Facilities=== In 2006, the university opened its gymnasium. The [[Joseph Edward Gallo]] Recreation and Wellness Center features an "NCAA-sized basketball court, workout facilities, room for performances, wellness and fitness education and the Rajender Reddy Student Health Center".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ucmerced.edu/news_articles/11132006_score_uc_merced_opens.asp |title=U C Merced - Score! UC Merced Opens New Recreation Center, Launches Sports and Yosemite Leadership Programs |publisher=Ucmerced.edu |access-date=2010-05-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20061212030507/http://www.ucmerced.edu/news_articles/11132006_score_uc_merced_opens.asp |archive-date=2006-12-12 }}</ref>
==Student life==
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;" |+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023 |- ! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web |title=Overall Enrollment Totals UCM|url=https://cie.ucmerced.edu/overall-enrollment-totals|publisher=University of California, Merced |access-date=21 November 2023}}</ref> ! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total |- | [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]] |align=right| {{bartable|58|%|2||background:green}} |- | [[Asian Americans|Asian]] |align=right| {{bartable|22|%|2||background:purple}} |- | [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]] |align=right| {{bartable|9|%|2||background:gray}} |- | [[African Americans|Black]] |align=right| {{bartable|5|%|2||background:mediumblue}} |- | [[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]] |align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:violet}} |- | Unknown |align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:brown}} |- ! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |[[Economic diversity]] |- | [[American lower class|Low-income]]{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal [[Pell grant]] intended for low-income students.}} |align=right| {{bartable|60|%|2||background:red}} |- | [[Affluence in the United States|Affluent]]{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the [[American middle class]] at the bare minimum.}} |align=right| {{bartable|40|%|2||background:black}} |}
Approximately 2,100 students currently live on campus in the Valley and Sierra Terraces and the Summits, which includes Tenaya and Cathedral Halls, {{convert|4.2|mi|km}} away from the city of [[Merced, California|Merced]]. The most recent addition is Half Dome Hall which completed the UC Merced's first residential square. Many students choose to live in new housing subdivisions off campus.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news |date=November 12, 2011 |title=Homework and Jacuzzis as Dorms Move to McMansions in California |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/us/homework-and-jacuzzis-as-dorms-move-to-mcmansions-in-california.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
Student publications include the newspaper ''The Prodigy'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://prodigy.ucmerced.edu/ |title=UCM Prodigy | Official News Source for UC Merced |website=Prodigy.ucmerced.edu |access-date=2017-03-27 |archive-date=April 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403044703/http://prodigy.ucmerced.edu/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bobcat Radio,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bobcatradio.ucmerced.edu/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720072957/http://bobcatradio.ucmerced.edu/|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 July 2011|title=bobcatradio - What College Radio Stations Will Be|date=20 July 2011|access-date=22 August 2018}}</ref> ''The Undergraduate Research Journal'', ''The Undergraduate Historical Journal'', and literary journals ''The Kumquat'' and ''Imagination Dead Imagine''. ''The Vernal Pool'' is a student publication for writing and visual art.<ref>{{Cite web|title=THE VERNAL POOL – UC Merced's Undergraduate Literary Arts Journal|url=https://thevernalpool.ucmerced.edu/|access-date=2021-11-16|language=en-US}}</ref>
=== {{Anchor|CatTracks}}CatTracks public transportation system === The university operates its own public transportation system, CatTracks. The system has several routes serving off-campus housing developments and locations in central Merced, about {{convert|6.5|mi}} from campus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CatTracks |url=https://taps.ucmerced.edu/transportation |access-date=2022-08-24 |website=UC Merced Transportation and Parking Services}}</ref>
===Student government=== Associated Students of the University of California Merced (ASUCM) is the student government that represents the undergraduate students on campus.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hatfield |first=Michelle |date=2007-05-16 |title=UC Merced too late for an election to hike fee |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/698545293 |access-date=2024-10-16 |work=Merced Sun Star |pages=17}}</ref> ASUCM funds student clubs and organizations including a campus visit from [[Karl Rove]] in 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oppenhiem |first=Jamie |date=2010-07-13 |title=Rove to speak at UC Merced |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/801232530 |access-date=2024-10-16 |work=Merced Sun-Star |pages=1}}</ref> The organization's Campus Activities Board brings outside talent to campus including comedians and musical acts.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-05-10 |title=UC Merced Campus Activity Board brings Ali Wong to town |url=https://mercedcountytimes.com/uc-merced-campus-activity-board-brings-ali-wong-to-town/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=Merced County Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Alumni== The UC Merced Alumni Association (UCMAA) consists of more than 16,000 living members.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://alumni.ucmerced.edu/about |title=UC Merced Alumni Association | UC Merced Alumni |website=Alumni.ucmerced.edu |date=2006-05-11 |access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref>
As stated by the ''LA Times'' in 2016, "Although most UC Merced alumni are still in their 20s, 11% of them contributed to their alma mater — outstripping the giving rate of all other UC campuses except UC Santa Barbara (16%) and UC Berkeley (12%). UCLA's rate was 8%, and UC Riverside, the most comparable campus, was 4%."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-uc-merced-ln-09122016-snap-story.html |title=UC Merced finally gets some respect in rankings of nation's best colleges |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=2016-09-13 |access-date=2017-03-27}}</ref>
{{Gallery |title= |width=200 |height=150 |align=center |footer= |File:University of California, Merced.jpg |Valley Terraces |File:UC Merced at night.jpg |The "New Beginnings" sculpture on campus. |File:UC Merced SE2.jpg |Solar Archway at Science and Engineering 2 |File:UC Merced's Scholars lane.JPG |Scholars Lane
||Aerial view of the UC Merced Campus|Ansel adams.JPG|Ansel Adams Road|UC Merced Beginnings Statue.jpg|The Beginnings Sculpture located in the Carol-Tomlinson Keasey Quadrangle}}
== Notes == {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} * {{official website}} * [https://ucmercedbobcats.com/ Athletics website] * [https://www.c-span.org/video/?286411-1/university-california-merced-commencement 2009 University Commencement Speaker Michelle Obama]
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