University of California-Merced

ucmerced.edu

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2024 Undergraduate Tuition

$12,260

3.6% growth from 2023

2024 Average Net Price

$13,690

After Financial Aid

2024 Acceptance Rate

90.5%

31,928 Applicants

2024 Enrolled Students

9,110

98.4% Full-Time

2024 Graduation Rate

68.7%

1,514 Graduates

About

University of California-Merced is a higher education institution located in Merced County, CA. In 2024, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at University of California-Merced were Other Research & Experimental Psychology (364 degrees awarded), General Biological Sciences (287 degrees), and General Computer Engineering (184 degrees).

In 2024, 1,905 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at University of California-Merced. 52.5% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 47.5% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was hispanic or latino (1,128 degrees), 3.62 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (312 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at University of California-Merced is $12,260, which is $−19,660 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at University of California-Merced is $12,260, which is $19,660 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $13,690.

In 2024, 85% of undergraduate students attending University of California-Merced received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 29% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$12,260

2024 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2024, the cost of tuition at University of California-Merced was $12,260. The cost of tuition at University of California-Merced is $−19,660 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,920).

This chart compares the tuition costs of University of California-Merced (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$13,690

2024 Value

3.46%

1 Year Growth

In 2024 University of California-Merced had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $13,690. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of University of California-Merced grew by 3.46%.

This chart compares the average net price of University of California-Merced (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$15,671

Room and Board

$1,214

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at University of California-Merced was of $15,671 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 7.76% between 2023 and 2024.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,214. The cost of books and supplies increased by 11% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at University of California-Merced (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

85%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

29%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

85% of undergraduate students at University of California-Merced received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a growth of 0% with respect to 2023, when 85% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at University of California-Merced (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Admissions

University of California-Merced received 31,928 undergraduate applications in 2024, which represents a 53% annual growth. Out of those 31,928 applicants, 28,906 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 90.5% acceptance rate.

There were 9,110 students enrolled at University of California-Merced in 2024. 96% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

University of California-Merced has an overall enrollment yield of 7.24%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

90.5%

Acceptance Rate in 2024

28,906

Accepted Out of 31,928

In 2024, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of California-Merced was 90.5% (28,906 admissions from 31,928 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2023, which was 39.2%. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of applicants declined by 53%, while admissions grew by 8.68%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of University of California-Merced (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

96%

Submission Percentage (2020)

1,874

Scores Submitted (2020)

96% of enrolled first-time students at University of California-Merced in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

Enrollment

University of California-Merced had a total enrollment of 9,110 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at University of California-Merced is 8,964 students and the part-time enrollment is 146. This means that 98.4% of students enrolled at University of California-Merced are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at University of California-Merced, both undergraduate and graduate, is 52.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.6% Asian, 10% White, 4.92% Black or African American, 4.49% Two or More Races, 0.241% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.176% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at University of California-Merced in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (29.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Male (27%) and Asian Male (14.3%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Male (11.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Female (10.6%) and Hispanic or Latino Male (9.7%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

98.4%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at University of California-Merced in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 9,110 students. The full-time enrollment at University of California-Merced is 8,964 and the part-time enrollment is 146. This means that 98.4% of students enrolled at University of California-Merced are enrolled full-time compared with 77.3% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at University of California-Merced (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

82%

2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at University of California-Merced was 82%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (82%), University of California-Merced had a retention rate approximately the same as its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at University of California-Merced (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)

Hispanic or Latino
4,786 enrolled students
Asian
2,057 enrolled students
White
915 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at University of California-Merced is 52.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.6% Asian, 10% White, 4.92% Black or African American, 4.49% Two or More Races, 0.241% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.176% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 46.2% White, 16.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 10.4% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 120 students (1.32%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2024, 97 more women than men received degrees from University of California-Merced. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at University of California-Merced is hispanic or latino (1,128 degrees awarded). There were 3.62 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (312 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at University of California-Merced is Other Research & Experimental Psychology (364 degrees awarded), followed by General Biological Sciences (287 degrees) and General Computer Engineering (184 degrees).

In 2024, the most specialized majors across all degree types at University of California-Merced, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Engineering (430 degrees awarded), Biology (318 degrees), and Psychology (379 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Other managers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of California-Merced are Other managers (771,309 people), Software developers (625,066 people), Physicians (561,297 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (446,815 people), and Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers (407,313 people).

The most specialized majors at University of California-Merced in 2024 are Engineering (430 degrees awarded), Biology (318 degrees), Psychology (379 degrees), Physical Sciences (78 degrees), and Social Sciences (183 degrees) (as of 2024).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of California-Merced are Surgeons, Podiatrists, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Physicians, and Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

The most specialized majors at University of California-Merced are Engineering (430 degrees awarded), Biology (318 degrees), Psychology (379 degrees), Physical Sciences (78 degrees), and Social Sciences (183 degrees) (as of 2024).

Common Industries by Major

Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of California-Merced are Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (930,757 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (908,630 people), Elementary & secondary schools (890,260 people), Computer Systems Design (814,884 people), and Architectural, engineering & related services (569,892 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by University of California-Merced.

Most Common (2024)

Other Research & Experimental Psychology
364 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
287 degrees awarded
General Computer Engineering
184 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common bachelors degree concentration at University of California-Merced was Other Research & Experimental Psychology with 364 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at University of California-Merced according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

904

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2024

1,001

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2024

In 2024, 904 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-Merced, which is 0.903 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (1,001).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at University of California-Merced by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2024, 156 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-Merced in General Computer Engineering, which is 5.57 times more than the 28 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2024, 289 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-Merced in Other Research & Experimental Psychology, which is 3.21 times more than the 90 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

44%

100% Completion Time

67%

150% Completion Time

In 2024, 44% of students graduating from University of California-Merced completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 67% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 69% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)

Hispanic or Latino
1,128 degrees awarded
Asian
312 degrees awarded
White
193 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at University of California-Merced is hispanic or latino (1,128 degrees awarded). There were 3.62 times more hispanic or latino recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (312 degrees).

1.05% of degree recipients (20 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)

Hispanic or Latino Female
701 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
641 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
621 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at University of California-Merced is hispanic or latino female (701 degrees awarded). There were 1.09 times more hispanic or latino female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino female (641 degrees).

Operations

University of California-Merced has an endowment valued at nearly $32.7M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 10.6M (32.4%) compared to the 9.4% average return (23.7M on 252M) across all Doctoral Universities.

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of California-Merced are: Business and Financial Operations, with 270 employees, Service, with 250 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 232 employees.

Endowment

$32.7M

2024 Endowment

12.3%

growth from 2023

University of California-Merced has an endowment valued at about $32.7M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of University of California-Merced grew 12.3% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $219M lower than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at University of California-Merced (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Instructional Salaries

$59.5M

Instructional Salaries

444

Number of Employees

In 2024, University of California-Merced paid a total of $59.5M to 444 employees working as instructors, which represents 26.6% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $4.1M (2.29%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of California-Merced were Business and Financial Operations with 270 employees, Service with 250 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 232 employees.

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