University of California-Merced

University of California-Merced is a public land-grant research university located in Merced, California, in the San Joaquin Valley. It is the tenth and newest campus in the University of California system, opening to students in 2005. The campus was established to expand access to higher education in California’s Central Valley and serves a diverse and largely first-generation student population. University of California-Merced offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs across the sciences, engineering, social sciences, and humanities. Known for its modern campus and emphasis on research growth, sustainability initiatives, and social mobility, the university attracts students seeking a research-oriented UC education in a smaller, developing campus environment.

University of California-Merced was founded in 2005 as the tenth campus of the University of California system, created to address growing enrollment demand and expand access to higher education in California’s Central Valley. Planning began in the late 1980s when the UC Regents identified the San Joaquin Valley as the largest region in the state without a UC campus. After site selection and development through the 1990s, Carol Tomlinson-Keasey was appointed the campus’s founding chancellor in 1999 to lead its academic planning. The campus officially opened on September 5, 2005, welcoming its inaugural undergraduate class. In the following years, University of California-Merced expanded its academic programs, research institutes, and student housing. A major campus expansion completed in 2021 significantly increased facilities and enrollment capacity. By 2025, the university achieved R1 research classification, marking a significant milestone in its institutional development.