About University of California Merced

The University of California, Merced (UC Merced) is a public land-grant research academic circles in Merced, California and is the tenth and newest of the University of California campuses. Established in 2005, UC Merced was founded to “address chronically low levels of scholarly attainment in the region.” UC Merced enrolls 8,847 undergraduates and 696 graduates bearing in mind 63.8% of students receiving Pell Grants, more than 99% of UC Merced students coming from California, and the largest percentage of low-income students from underrepresented ethnic groups in the UC system.

UC Merced is one of the largest employers in Merced County, and contributes about $1.7 billion to the San Joaquin Valley. The the academy is moreover one of the most sustainable universities in the country below its Triple Zero Commitment, with all building on campus physical environmentally certified. UC Merced is classified among “R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity”, with undergraduate programs ranked 97th overall in the middle of U.S. national research universities by U.S. News & World Report.

Merced /mɜːrˈsɛd/ (Spanish for “Mercy”) is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of 2019, the city had a population of 83,676. Incorporated upon April 1, 1889, Merced is a charter city that operates under a council-manager government. It is named after the Merced River, which flows nearby.

Merced, known as the “Gateway to Yosemite,” is less than two hours by automobile from Yosemite National Park to the east and Monterey Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and complex beaches to the west. The community is served by the passenger rail advance Amtrak, a minor, heavily subsidized airline through Merced Regional Airport, and three bus lines. It is approximately 110 miles (180 km) from Sacramento, 130 miles (210 km) from San Francisco, 45 miles (72 km) from Fresno, and 270 miles (430 km) from Los Angeles.

In 2005, the city became home to the 10th University of California campus, University of California, Merced (UC Merced), the first research academe built in the U.S. in the 21st century.