College profile
University of California-Merced
CA · Public · Mid-size suburb · 67,891 applicants 2023
A parent's read
- Top feeder high schools: Dublin High School (11), Lynbrook High School (4.2), Henry M. Gunn High School (3), Mountain View High School (2.7), Leigh High School (2.5). Graduates per class year, from each high school's own published list. 29 high schools' lists name University of California-Merced; every one is ranked below.
- The payoff holds even at full price: roughly 4× over a decade. With no aid at all — the full in-state ~$39,665/yr — a decade of median earnings (~$64,368/yr) still runs about 4× the four-year cost. This payoff doesn't depend on qualifying for anything. (Out-of-state costs more.)
Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.
Feeder high schools
Which high schools send graduates to University of California-Merced?
The high schools sending the most graduates per class year to University of California-Merced, from each school's own published list: Dublin High School (11), Lynbrook High School (4.2), Henry M. Gunn High School (3), Mountain View High School (2.7), Leigh High School (2.5). 29 high schools' lists name University of California-Merced.
Enrolled — from the schools' matriculation lists
All 29 schools, with the class years each list covers
How this is counted
29 high schools publish a numbered matriculation list — where their graduates actually enrolled, counted, in the school's own School Profile — and name University of California-Merced on it. Between them they printed 106 enrolled graduates. Ranked by graduates per class year enrolling at University of California-Merced, from each school's own published list: the number that school printed, divided by the class years its list covers. The published total and the school's own years label are shown beside every school, so a one-year list and a five-year list can sit on the same page. A list whose class years we cannot read is not divided by a guess — it is listed below with its total instead.
Is my high school on this list?
Admitted — from the schools' acceptance lists
All 12 schools, with the class years each list covers
How this is counted
12 high schools publish a numbered list of college acceptances — where their graduates were admitted, not where they enrolled — and name University of California-Merced on it. Between them they printed 405 admissions. Ranked by admissions per class year to University of California-Merced, from each school's own published acceptances list: the number that school printed, divided by the class years its list covers. Admits are counted at each college a student was admitted to, the same way the UC Reach Score counts a student admitted to three UC campuses three times — so this is a count of admissions, not of students. The published total and the school's own years label are shown beside every school, and a list whose class years we cannot read is listed below with its total rather than divided by a guess.
All 40 feeder schools, ranked →
Counted from each school's own published document, linked on that school's page. A high school that is not here does not publish a numbered list we could read — that is all absence means, and it says nothing about its graduates. Where a school publishes both, the two lists are shown separately: an acceptances list is not a list of enrollments, and the two are never added together.
Parent/student verdict
AccessibleAccessible for most applicants. Affordable — net price averages ~$11,983/yr among aid recipients.
Best for
- Students drawn to Engineering or Psychology (the two biggest majors)
- Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)
The reality
- You'd be near the bottom of their admitted class if: unweighted GPA below 3.37 (test bands are the school's own; the 3.37 line is our estimate, not a published figure)
- Out-of-state tuition is 3.2× the in-state rate
Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price with aid and at full price, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.
What are your child's odds here?
Enter their numbers once — this and every college page shows their verdict, and the UC campus cards on California school pages light up with it too. Free, no email.
Weighted is the higher GPA, with honors/AP credit in it — pick whichever your school reports. PSAT scores work in the SAT box.
Institutional snapshot
What kind of college is this?
Source: admit rate is UC's Fall 2026 preliminary release (see banner above); federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.
High-school GPA
3.57 avg unweightedGPA on the plain 4.0 scale, no honors/AP bonus. When a college publishes an "average admitted GPA of 3.9," it's often this scale — don't compare it to a weighted 4.3. GPA, enrolled first-years
unweighted 4.0 scale. UC Merced Common Data Set 2024-2025 (C12) ↗
As published by the college in its Common Data Set / admissions data (2024-25) — independently verified 2026-07-23 (source linked above). GPA basis (weighted vs. unweighted vs. 4.0-scale) varies by college and is labeled above.
Fall 2026 — just released by UC (preliminary)
49,426 applied · 46,812 admitted · 94.7% admit rate · admitted GPA middle 50%The middle half landed in this range — a quarter are below the low end and a quarter above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.: 3.57–4.16 · 87.9% of admits are California residents. First-year offers as of June 2026, per UC's own release ↗ — fresher than the federal figures below. Full analysis: UC's Fall 2026 numbers →
Admit rate by discipline — Fall 2025
The headline admit rate hides a wide spread by program.
University of California-Merced's own systemwide data, by broad discipline. Campus overall: 94%. UC admits to the campus, not the major, at most programs — but the spread below is the real selectivity of each applicant pool, and capped programs (computer science, engineering, nursing) do gate by major.
| Discipline | Applicants | Admitted | Admit rate Fall 2025 |
Admit GPA (mid-50%)The middle half landed in this range — a quarter are below the low end and a quarter above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts & Humanities | 1,625 | 1,476 | 91% | 3.50–4.08 |
| Business | 3,674 | 3,382 | 92% | 3.45–4.06 |
| Other/Interdisciplinary | 3,176 | 2,909 | 92% | 3.48–4.11 |
| Physical Sciences/Math | 3,227 | 3,008 | 93% | 3.66–4.20 |
| Social Sciences | 8,622 | 8,049 | 93% | 3.47–4.08 |
| Public Health | 2,452 | 2,313 | 94% | 3.45–4.08 |
| Life Sciences | 10,012 | 9,646 | 96% | 3.62–4.18 |
| Engineering | 11,565 | 11,206 | 97% | 3.69–4.21 |
By specific major — Fall 2025
| Major | Applicants | Admitted | Admit rate Fall 2025 |
Admit GPA (mid-50%)The middle half landed in this range — a quarter are below the low end and a quarter above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection. | Earlier year for comparison |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological Sciences Life Sciences | 6,776 | 6,556 | 97% | 3.65–4.19 | Fall 2021: 91% ↑ |
| Undeclared Undeclared | 5,013 | 4,576 | 91% | 3.40–4.02 | Fall 2021: 81% ↑ |
| Management And Business Economics Business | 3,419 | 3,149 | 92% | 3.45–4.04 | Fall 2021: 84% ↑ |
| Psychology Social Sciences | 3,400 | 3,210 | 94% | 3.44–4.08 | Fall 2021: 87% ↑ |
| Psychology, General Social Sciences | 3,400 | 3,210 | 94% | 3.44–4.08 | Fall 2021: 87% ↑ |
| Psychology, Other Social Sciences | 3,400 | 3,210 | 94% | 3.44–4.08 | Fall 2021: 87% ↑ |
| Public Health Public Health | 2,452 | 2,313 | 94% | 3.45–4.08 | Fall 2021: 86% ↑ |
| Mechanical Engineering Engineering | 2,311 | 2,240 | 97% | 3.63–4.18 | Fall 2021: 86% ↑ |
| Political Science Social Sciences | 1,786 | 1,708 | 96% | 3.57–4.15 | Fall 2021: 86% ↑ |
| Economics Social Sciences | 1,669 | 1,551 | 93% | 3.55–4.13 | Fall 2021: 78% ↑ |
| Applied Mathematics Physical Sciences/Math | 1,543 | 1,414 | 92% | 3.64–4.18 | Fall 2021: 85% ↑ |
| Sociology Social Sciences | 1,511 | 1,345 | 89% | 3.37–4.00 | Fall 2021: 84% ↑ |
| Biochemistry Life Sciences | 1,295 | 1,251 | 97% | 3.63–4.20 | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics And Molecular Biology Life Sciences | 1,295 | 1,251 | 97% | 3.63–4.20 | — |
| Civil Engineering Engineering | 1,294 | 1,258 | 97% | 3.57–4.15 | Fall 2021: 91% ↑ |
| Communication And Media Other/Interdisciplinary | 1,259 | 1,134 | 90% | 3.39–4.00 | — |
| Data Science And Analytics Other/Interdisciplinary | 1,120 | 1,011 | 90% | 3.45–4.10 | Fall 2024: 97% ↓ |
| Aerospace Engineering Engineering | 1,110 | 1,075 | 97% | 3.65–4.19 | — |
| Bioengineering Engineering | 1,048 | 1,019 | 97% | 3.75–4.23 | Fall 2021: 92% ↑ |
| Neuroscience Life Sciences | 983 | 942 | 96% | 3.64–4.20 | — |
| Environmental Systems Science Physical Sciences/Math | 523 | 494 | 94% | 3.60–4.14 | Fall 2021: 90% ↑ |
| Physics Physical Sciences/Math | 495 | 468 | 95% | 3.73–4.23 | Fall 2021: 90% ↑ |
| Physics, Applied Physical Sciences/Math | 495 | 468 | 95% | 3.73–4.23 | Fall 2021: 90% ↑ |
| Physics, General Physical Sciences/Math | 495 | 468 | 95% | 3.73–4.23 | Fall 2021: 90% ↑ |
| Physics, General - Secondary Education Physical Sciences/Math | 495 | 468 | 95% | 3.73–4.23 | Fall 2021: 90% ↑ |
| Data Science And Computing Other/Interdisciplinary | 410 | 388 | 95% | 3.69–4.20 | Fall 2024: 95% |
| Cognitive Science Other/Interdisciplinary | 369 | 360 | 98% | 3.70–4.20 | Fall 2021: 89% ↑ |
| History Arts & Humanities | 359 | 326 | 91% | 3.54–4.10 | Fall 2021: 84% ↑ |
| Chemical Engineering Engineering | 354 | 339 | 96% | 3.86–4.25 | Fall 2024: 93% ↑ |
| Literatures In English Arts & Humanities | 333 | 311 | 93% | 3.50–4.13 | Fall 2023: 89% ↑ |
| Environmental Engineering Engineering | 322 | 311 | 97% | 3.72–4.16 | Fall 2021: 91% ↑ |
| Philosophy Arts & Humanities | 172 | 152 | 88% | 3.54–4.11 | Fall 2021: 73% ↑ |
| Biochemical And Biomolecular Engineering Engineering | 133 | 132 | 99% | 3.87–4.26 | — |
Majors are shown as UC's systemwide data reports them; programs too small to clear UC's reporting floor don't appear. Admit rates by major reflect who applies as much as who gets in — at most UC programs, students are admitted to the campus, not the major.
Source: University of California Information Center ↗, first-year applicants by broad discipline (data back to Fall 2012). GPA is UC's capped weighted GPAUC's own GPA recalculation: extra points for honors/AP/IB classes, but capped at 8 semesters of bonus. That cap is why UC admitted-GPA bands cluster between 4.0 and 4.3 — a 4.28 here is a stronger number than it looks next to an uncapped 4.6 from a high school transcript.. UC's own guidance: use this as a general guide to selectivity, not a predictor of any one student's chances. Small programs are suppressed by UC.
Outcomes & cost
What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.
Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).
The real cost
What University of California-Merced actually costs
Which side your family lands on isn't set by any national income line — it's set by University of California-Merced's own aid decision: the gap between its price and your family's finances.
University of California-Merced's own published aid policy · 2026-27
Who qualifies: CA residents; UC Blue and Gold, systemwide tuition only.
Most California families that earn up to $100,000 receive enough grant and scholarship funds to cover their UC tuition.
Income thresholds assume typical assets. Policy independently verified against the college's financial-aid pages ↗.
Your odds + estimated cost across your whole college list, side by side.
The payoffTen years of typical graduate pay minus four years of cost — how many dollars ahead a typical graduate runs by year ten. Check both the full-price and with-aid versions to see which applies to you; median pay reflects who a college admits and what they study as much as the college itself., both ways
+$485K ahead at full price +$596K with aidSource: College Scorecard (average net price among Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates who received aid) and each college's published cost of attendance. We don't show the federal net-price-by-income brackets: their categories were fixed in 2008 and never adjusted, and none of the averages is your family's own number — the full story. Payoff = (10-yr median earnings × 10) − (4 years of cost), in dollars — how far ahead a typical graduate runs by year ten; medians travel with the students a college admits and the majors they choose as much as with the college itself. Full price is the published cost of attendance, largely in-state for publics; earnings are 10 years after enrollment, all majors combined.
What students study here
Most popular majors at University of California-Merced
Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University of California-Merced actually graduates — not just what it markets.
What those majors earn here
Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major — University of California-Merced's own graduates, not national averages.
| Major (CIP) | 4-yr earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer Engineering. | $102,575 |
| Mechanical Engineering. | $95,040 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering. | $88,795 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering. | $83,007 |
| Applied Mathematics. | $82,156 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | $68,277 |
| Economics. | $67,692 |
| Political Science and Government. | $62,815 |
| Biology, General. | $59,249 |
| English Language and Literature, General. | $58,623 |
Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only) · College Scorecard program-level outcomes (PP-FOS). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →
Alternatives to University of California-Merced
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Related reading
Behind the data · September 28, 2026
Behind the data · September 26, 2026
UC admissions · October 2026
Read next on Test Prep Gurus
UC is test-blind as of October 2026. Its admissions board owes a report February 12, 2027, with recommendations to the Regents by June 2027.
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At a glance
JSON · Using this page with an AI assistantUniversity of California-Merced is a public four-year college in CA. It admitted 95% of applicants (67,891 applied, 2023). Test policy: Test-blind.
Average enrolled GPA 3.57 (unweighted, 2024-25, as published by the college).
Cost: about $11,983 a year on average with aid, $39,665 a year at full price for in-state students.
Median earnings ten years after entry: $64,368 a year. Payoff, meaning ten years of that pay minus four years of cost: $595,748 ahead with aid, $485,020 ahead at full price.
Highest median earnings four years after the degree, by program: Computer Engineering ($102,575); Mechanical Engineering ($95,040); Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($88,795).
Admit rate by major, Fall 2025 (the UC admits to the campus, not the major, at most programs, so read these as a guide to selectivity): lowest Philosophy 88% (172 applied); highest Biochemical And Biomolecular Engineering 99% (133 applied).
Aid pledge published by the college for 2026-27: families earning under $100,000 pay no tuition (CA residents; UC Blue and Gold, systemwide tuition only).
High schools that publish a numbered matriculation list and name University of California-Merced: 29, 106 enrolled students between them — ranked by graduates per class year, most often Dublin High School (11.0 per class year, 11 over 1 class year, Class of 2023); Lynbrook High School (4.2 per class year, 17 over 4 class years, 2022-2025); Henry M. Gunn High School (3.0 per class year, 3 over 1 class year, 2026). Each figure is the number that school printed divided by the class years its own list covers; the totals and years are shown. These are the schools that publish such a list, not every school that sends students; full list: https://highschoolreach.com/leaderboards/feeder-schools/university-of-california-merced.
High schools that publish a numbered list of college acceptances naming University of California-Merced: 12, 405 admissions between them — ranked by admissions per class year, most often Arcadia High School (108.0 per class year, 108 over 1 class year, Class of 2026, counted column "Accepted"); Yorba Linda High School (55.0 per class year, 55 over 1 class year, Class of 2026, counted column "STUDENTS ACCEPTED"); Archbishop Mitty High School (31.0 per class year, 31 over 1 class year, Class of 2026). Admits are counted at each college, so this counts admissions, not students. These are a different set of documents from the matriculation lists above and the two are never added together; full list: https://highschoolreach.com/leaderboards/feeder-schools/university-of-california-merced.
Machine-readable version of this page: https://highschoolreach.com/colleges/university-of-california-merced.json
Questions families ask
What is University of California-Merced's acceptance rate? University of California-Merced is a public four-year college in CA. It admitted 95% of applicants (67,891 applied, 2023). Test policy: Test-blind.
Does University of California-Merced require the SAT or ACT? University of California-Merced is a public four-year college in CA. It admitted 95% of applicants (67,891 applied, 2023). Test policy: Test-blind.
How much does University of California-Merced cost? Cost: about $11,983 a year on average with aid, $39,665 a year at full price for in-state students.
What do University of California-Merced graduates earn? Median earnings ten years after entry: $64,368 a year. Payoff, meaning ten years of that pay minus four years of cost: $595,748 ahead with aid, $485,020 ahead at full price.
Which majors at University of California-Merced pay the most? Highest median earnings four years after the degree, by program: Computer Engineering ($102,575); Mechanical Engineering ($95,040); Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($88,795).
Does the admit rate at University of California-Merced depend on the major? Admit rate by major, Fall 2025 (the UC admits to the campus, not the major, at most programs, so read these as a guide to selectivity): lowest Philosophy 88% (172 applied); highest Biochemical And Biomolecular Engineering 99% (133 applied).
Does University of California-Merced offer free tuition or meet full need? Aid pledge published by the college for 2026-27: families earning under $100,000 pay no tuition (CA residents; UC Blue and Gold, systemwide tuition only).
Which high schools send the most graduates to University of California-Merced? The high schools sending the most graduates per class year to University of California-Merced, from each school's own published list: Dublin High School (11), Lynbrook High School (4.2), Henry M. Gunn High School (3), Mountain View High School (2.7), Leigh High School (2.5). 29 high schools' lists name University of California-Merced.
+6 more programs
Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach, highschoolreach.com). These figures may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.