R2 ResearchPublicHSILand-grant

University of California-Merced

Merced, California·Public, 4-year or above·Far West
Acceptance
90.5%
+9.8pp vs R2 Research
6-yr Graduation
69%
+16.0pp vs R2 Research
Enrollment
9,110
peer median 9,110
Avg net price
$12,744
-$2.5k vs R2 Research
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About

The University of California, Merced is a public land-grant research university in Merced County, California, United States. Established in 2005, UC Merced is the tenth and newest campus in the University of California (UC) system. The main campus is around 810 acres in size and located around 5 miles (8.0 km) north of the city of Merced and sits adjacent to Lake Yosemite. The campus is adjacent to large swaths of protected natural grasslands and vernal pools, which have shaped its development, capital planning, and research.

Admissions funnel

How selective is this institution, and how many admitted students choose to enroll?

Applied
31,928
31,928 candidates competed
Admitted
28,906
90.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,093
7.2% yield

Outcomes & equity

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
69%+16.0pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
51%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
69%
Full-time retention
82%

Pell equity

2.0pp gap
Pell recipients
68%
Non-Pell
70%

Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates — a notably small equity gap.

What families actually pay

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$8,572
$30–48k$9,581
$48–75k$11,594
$75–110k$17,323
$110k+$30,561

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$12,744
-$2,472vs R2 Research median $15,216
Pell recipients
1.3%
Federal loans
31.4%

Academic programs

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs41
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,800 total
01Engineering
43023.9%
02Psychology
37921.1%
03Biological Sciences
31817.7%
04Business
19010.6%
05Social Sciences
18310.2%
06Health Professions
1045.8%
07Physical Sciences
784.3%
08Multi/Interdisciplinary
502.8%
09Mathematics
392.2%
10English Language
291.6%

Enrollment & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
9,110
12-mo unduplicated
9,716
Undergraduate
8,917
Graduate
8,917

Gender split

Men
53%5,104
Women
47%4,612

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
57.7%
Asian
22.4%
White
8.9%
Black
4.9%
Two or more
4.4%
Unknown
1.0%
Non-resident
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%

Faculty

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
20.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
444

UC vs IPEDS peer group

The peer institutions UC selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

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
SubjectUniversity of California-Merced
69%90.5%9,110$12,744R2 Research
Augusta University
49%86.4%10,900$13,347R2 Research
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
53%20.6%9,313$15,847R2 Research
Idaho State University
35%13,061$17,324R2 Research
Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus
54%90.8%9,073$17,216R2 Research
Jackson State University
51%93.1%6,326$20,191R2 Research
Louisiana Tech University
62%86.4%11,873$12,209R2 Research
Michigan Technological University
68%92.4%7,403$15,729R2 Research
Missouri University of Science and Technology
64%72.5%7,154$13,773R2 Research
Morgan State University
41%82.2%10,739$15,015R2 Research
Prairie View A & M University
43%79.3%9,922$14,041R2 Research
Rutgers University-Camden
67%66.3%5,675$18,803R2 Research
South Dakota State University
62%98.3%12,056$18,219R2 Research
Southern University and A & M College
27%35.1%8,279$19,740R2 Research
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
66%63.3%2,757$18,730R2 Research
Tennessee State University
35%70.1%6,310$10,026R2 Research
Tennessee Technological University
58%76.1%10,511$14,207R2 Research
Texas Southern University
22%96.9%8,704$19,734R2 Research
The University of Texas at Tyler
54%94.0%10,362$13,931R2 Research
University of Alaska Fairbanks
39%64.7%6,893$9,634R2 Research
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
37%58.8%8,216$16,136R2 Research
University of Idaho
57%75.5%12,286$13,782R2 Research
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
35%96.4%3,177$14,035R2 Research
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
52%90.6%7,968$20,605R2 Research
University of Missouri-St Louis
57%62.7%14,736$12,323R2 Research
University of New Orleans
38%74.3%6,501$11,147R2 Research
University of South Dakota
60%98.8%10,619$19,155R2 Research
William & Mary
89%34.1%9,818$22,529R2 Research
Wright State University-Main Campus
42%96.3%10,603$15,216R2 Research
Peer group median53%80.8%9,110$15,216

Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Institutional Research & Decision Support
Reports to Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Address
University of California, Merced, 5200 North Lake Rd., Merced, CA 95343

The mission of IRDS is to provide analysis for data-driven decision-making and communicates research insights that support strategic initiatives. IRDS strives to be a trusted partner and consultant, providing accurate and actionable information to campus constituents.

Visit IR office page
Team
4 members
  • Corinne Townsend
    Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics
  • Andrea Hall-Cuccia
    Institutional Research Analyst
  • Jose Lopez Arriaza
    Business Intelligence Specialist
  • Jessica Chackoria
    Business Intelligence Specialist

Documents & reports (4)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

IR job openings (1)

Institutional Research and analytics roles currently posted at this institution.

Notable alumni (5)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Temnee Wright
    Law
  • Laura Showalter
    Academia
  • Eve Hoyo-Atlas
    Computer Science
  • Joshua R. Atlas
    Computer Science
  • Nohely Aguilar
    Community Service

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