University of California-Merced Acceptance Rate, Admissions & Graduation

I am not going to tell you whether this university is right for your family. An article cannot decide that; it depends on what your child wants to study, what you can afford, and what your child’s academic record already reflects. But I can show you what official United States government data says about this university, without embellishment or alarmism, so you can consider it in your decision with your eyes open.

What Kind of University Is It?

University of California-Merced is in the city of Merced, within the county of the same name, in California. The federal system that classifies schools places it within the Merced metropolitan area, but in a suburban setting: outside the city center, within the urbanized area. If your child is thinking about living at home and commuting every day, my recommendation is simple: before deciding anything, drive the route on a weekday at the exact time your child’s classes would take place. The time shown on the map is almost never the actual travel time.

It is a public, four-year university, and the Carnegie Classification system—which groups the nation’s universities according to what they do, not according to how good they are—places it among doctoral institutions with high research activity. It also describes it as a medium-sized, primarily residential school: in the most recent edition of that classification, between one-quarter and one-half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least half studied full time.

Carnegie also places it in its “inclusive” access category, although some caution is needed here: that category combines two types of schools—those that do not report admissions scores and those that do report them but show broad access—and the data does not clarify which of the two describes this particular university. It is real information, but it is not a verdict. It helps you understand what schools this one resembles; you can decide the rest based on what follows.

An interesting fact: in the government’s official 2023 file, University of California-Merced is marked as a Land Grant Institution, a historic designation held by only 80 of the 3,012 institutions in this census. I am not telling you that this label predicts anything about the actual support your child will receive there. That requires specific questions: what student center exists, what scholarship applies, and who answers the phone in April.

The Size of the Community and Who Makes It Up

In the most recent official count, University of California-Merced had 9,147 students enrolled: neither one of the smallest universities nor one of the largest. Of that total, 8,372 were undergraduates and 775 were graduate students. Above all, it is an undergraduate institution.

Here is a fact worth stopping to read in full, because it may matter greatly to your family: 58 out of every 100 undergraduate students identified as Hispanic or Latino in the fall of 2023. Compared with 519 similar selective public universities in this census, it reports one of the highest proportions. Nine out of ten of those schools report a lower figure.

If your child worries about feeling like the only Latino student in the classroom, the numbers here do not show that. That said—and this is important—a high percentage of Latino students is not the same as dedicated support for Latino students. The data counts how many there are, not whether counseling is available in Spanish, whether targeted tutoring is offered, or whether those students actually graduate. And it is the percentage for the entire school, not for the specific program your child is interested in. Counting is not the same as providing support.

We also know that 99 out of every 100 first-time students reported a permanent address in California when they applied. In practice, this is a California student community. The split between men and women is nearly even (47 out of every 100 are women), and there are almost no adult students: just 2 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old.

How the Academic Year Works

The year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The university accepts credit from AP exams, but does not report accepting credit for life experience, and it does not enroll high school students in courses for college credit.

Here is a practical warning worth its weight in gold: saying that they accept AP does not mean they award credit for every exam at every score. This data does not tell us what score they require or whether those credits apply to your child’s specific program. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not include those savings in your budget until you have it in hand.

As for programs of study: in a recent year, the university awarded 1,804 bachelor’s degrees across 15 academic fields. Engineering was the most common, accounting for 25 out of every 100 degrees—no other field exceeded it, but it did not account for the majority either. Compared with similar schools, University of California-Merced falls in the quarter with the least variety of academic fields represented in its bachelor’s-degree data. A large number of total degrees tells you nothing about what your child will specifically experience within their program.

The student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 21 to 1, a high figure compared with similar schools: three out of four of them report an equal or lower ratio. But be careful: this is not a classroom size. It is an institution-wide aggregate ratio. If the size of first-year classes matters to you—and it may matter for good reason—ask about it directly, because this data does not contain that information.

Academic Opportunities the University Reports

The institution reports offering study abroad and cocurricular undergraduate research as structured academic pathways. If your child is interested in either one, it is worth asking how students gain access, when in the program they can participate, and what support is available.

Getting In: Admissions and the Path to Enrollment

Here is something every family should know from the start: University of California-Merced does not have open admissions. It reviews specific components before saying yes.

Of nine possible considerations reviewed by the federal system—not including standardized tests or legacy status—five are required: the high school record, grade point average, completion of the college-preparatory course sequence required by the university, the personal essay, and the English-proficiency exam when applicable. Beyond those, only one additional factor is considered if submitted: work experience.

Put simply: gathering paperwork is not enough here. The essay is required, so your child has to write one. My usual recommendation applies exactly here: have your child start it during the summer, not the week before the deadline. The first draft is never the one that gets submitted. The published undergraduate application fee is $80.

Now for the figure people ask about most: in the 2023 cycle, University of California-Merced received 67,891 first-time applications and offered admission to 26,598. That is 39 out of every 100. Compared with 519 similar selective public schools, it is among those accepting the smallest share—nine out of ten schools in that group accept a higher percentage. That makes it a selective university. It is fine for it to be on your child’s list; it should not be the only one.

And here is a fact that almost no family knows and that is worth taking in carefully: out of every 100 students admitted, only 9 ultimately enrolled. Eleven received a “yes,” and approximately ten of them chose to go elsewhere. This is not a stain on the university—the federal record does not say why each person made that decision—but it does tell you something useful: receiving an admission letter is not the same as deciding to attend. What others decided does not tell you what the university will offer your child. Wait for your child’s letter showing the net price—what the year will actually cost—before deciding whether this school stays on the list.

Regarding standardized tests: University of California-Merced reported that it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in its admission decision, even if applicants submit them. This entry does not say whether the university uses them for scholarships or other purposes; ask about that separately.

About transfers: of a cohort that entered in 2017 seeking bachelor’s degrees, 22 out of every 100 transferred without completing their degree there and enrolled at another institution. This is a common proportion compared with similar schools. Changing universities is not failure. It is wise for your child to know in advance how to request the documents needed to transfer if that ever becomes necessary.

The Published Cost: Two Very Different Prices

This is where many families feel the first shock, so let’s take it slowly and use the exact figures.

For the 2023-24 year, the total cost of attendance—tuition, fees, housing, food, books, and other estimated expenses—was $40,685 for students paying the California resident rate and living on campus. For out-of-state students, that same cost rises to $71,462.

The difference between the two rates is $30,777 per year. It is an enormous gap, which is why the first thing you should ask—before comparing any price with those of other schools—is what requirements the university uses to classify a student as a resident and when that classification takes effect. It is not the same everywhere.

Compared with the other 483 similar schools in this census, this published cost at the resident rate is among the highest in the group. It is a striking figure.

The Net Price: What Families Actually Pay

At University of California-Merced, among 586 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $8,572. Among 313 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $11,594; among 179 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $30,561. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.

There is a difference of $21,989 between the average for the lowest-income band (586 students) and the average for the highest-income band (179 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $13,232.

The advertised price is not the same as the price paid. Here, for students with low incomes, the average net price was $8,572 in the 2022-23 academic year.

Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial aid letter you receive is what matters.

Grants, Pell, and Loans: How the Year Is Financed

Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at University of California-Merced, 85 received some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received it, the annual average was $23,874. This is a high proportion compared with similar schools.

In addition, 59 out of every 100 students received a Pell Grant, the federal aid intended for low-income families. That is more than half of the student body.

$23,874 is real money, but it is not a price: what determines how much your family will pay is the figure remaining after all aid, and only you have that figure, in your own letter.

Regarding loans: 31 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 year. That is more than two out of ten, but less than half. Among those who borrowed, the average amount for the year was $5,247.

I want to be direct with you here, without softening it: that average covers a single year and includes only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, debt from private banks, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt with which a student leaves upon graduating—that would require adding four or five years, and that figure is not in this report. This percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would ultimately borrow comes from your child’s own financial aid letter. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school and before committing to it.

The university also reports offering an installment tuition payment plan and participation in a Promise-type program, options worth asking about in detail if monthly cash flow is a real concern for your family.

Campus Life: Housing, Support, and Activities

University of California-Merced does have institution-owned housing, and it does not require all first-time students to live there—although that does not mean no individual program requires it. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. The reported maximum capacity of institution-provided housing is 4,341 students. The existence of a room does not guarantee an available bed for your child: ask in writing for the annual rate, the application deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or your child will be placed on a waiting list.

Regarding ROTC, the university indicated that an opportunity is available, specifically for the Air Force branch. Army and Navy are not marked as available. If your child is interested in another branch, it is not confirmed in this report—which does not mean it is impossible, only that you need to ask directly.

The university competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), with reported participation in basketball and cross-country or track and field. If sports are part of your child’s plan, write directly to the coach: ask whether there is space on the team, what division they compete in, and whether that sport offers athletic scholarships.

Regarding distance education: although the university reports offering it at the undergraduate level, in practice fewer than 1 out of every 100 students took their entire course load that way, and the institution reported that it does not offer a complete program in which all required courses can be taken at a distance. If this matters to your family, confirm it in writing for the specific program.

The library has paid staff, physical and digital collections, and participation in interlibrary lending. The university also reports academic and career counseling services, student employment, on-campus child care, dedicated support for veterans and military service members, and a webpage of services for students with disabilities. None of these reports tells you how good or effective a service is in practice—that requires asking specific people and hearing about actual experiences.

Who Stays and Who Graduates

This may be the section most worth reading carefully.

Retention: of a cohort of 2,371 first-time, full-time students who started in the fall of 2022, 83 out of every 100 were still enrolled there or had already graduated one year later. This is a high proportion compared with similar schools—among the best in the group. But this figure does not distinguish between those still studying and those who have already graduated, and not reenrolling does not always mean leaving school: someone who transferred and is still studying elsewhere is counted the same way in this figure as someone who left school entirely.

Graduation in four and six years: of a cohort of 2,285 students who started in 2017, 69 out of every 100 had graduated from this same institution within six years. At four years, the figure is 49 out of every 100—twenty percentage points lower. That difference matters because four years is the timeframe most families plan for in their budget. The data does not say how many semesters each person attended and does not report tuition, rent, or wages.

From that same cohort of 2,285: 1,580 graduated there within the measured period, 496 transferred to another institution without completing there, 16 remained enrolled without having finished, and 193 fell into the “no longer enrolled” category—a category that does not explain why and may include people who graduated after the measured period.

Compared with similar schools, this six-year figure of 69 out of every 100 places it in the top quarter of the group: three out of four similar schools report an equal or lower proportion.

At eight years, following a different cohort that entered in 2015-16, 73 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this institution. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 71 out of every 100—six percentage points below the group without Pell Grants. Again, this is a high proportion compared with similar universities.

None of these figures predicts your child’s particular outcome. They describe earlier cohorts under conditions that may not be repeated. What you can do with this information is ask the university a very specific question: how long students typically take to complete the particular program your child is interested in, how required courses for that program are scheduled, and how the total cost would change if the program extends beyond four years.

What Comes Next Is Yours

You now understand, in considerable depth, one of the pieces you need to make a decision: what University of California-Merced is according to official United States government data. You know its size, the composition of its student body, how it admits students, how much it costs on paper, how much other families similar to yours ultimately pay, and how earlier cohorts have fared in persisting and graduating.

What no IPEDS data can tell you is what your child wants to study, how far from home your child is willing to live, or how much your family can and is willing to pay without compromising everything else. That part of the map is something the two of you build together, with the admission and financial aid letters in hand when they arrive.

You do not have to live your child’s college life. But it is your responsibility to understand the family’s finances, support this decision with real information, and not leave your child alone to face a system they are only beginning to learn how to navigate. You are already doing that. Keep going.

Source note: the information in this article comes from public data from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the United States Department of Education, corresponding to the cycles and cohorts indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent University of California-Merced or any government agency; this article is for informational purposes and does not constitute personalized admissions advice.