University of California, Merced

UC Merced Early Decision Results Release Date 2021

UC Merced will release their Early Decision results on Wednesday December 15th. Share results and connect with other early applicants in the UC Merced Community discussion.

Good luck to all early applicants!

University of California, Merced Overview

University of California, Merced is a public, state school in a small town setting in Merced, California. and now enrolls around 9,018 students a year, including 8,276 undergrads. UC Merced offers housing for up to 4,019 students. Most students live in off campus housing, and 50% of students spend their weekends on campus .

There are many ways for students to get involved at UC Merced! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of UC Merced's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? UC Merced students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Excited for Greek life? UC Merced has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? UC Merced has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at UC Merced on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at UC Merced on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! The final application deadline for Fall 2022 is November 30. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2022 should hear from UC Merced by March 1.

Is UC Merced a Good School?

The definition of a "good school" is different for different people. Admissions difficulty and admitted student statistics can give you a sense of how competitive a school is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. There are a few statistics that can give you a good idea of how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its students.

Let's take a look at each of these factors to get a clearer idea of what UC Merced offers and if it could be a good fit for you.

2021 Acceptance Rate for University of California, Merced

It is moderately difficult to get into UC Merced. Around 85% of applicants get into UC Merced each year. Last year, 25,924 students applied to UC Merced and 21,982 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at UC Merced

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at UC Merced, around 86% return for the next year. Around 69% of students who started at UC Merced earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outcomes for UC Merced Grads

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school.

Tuition and Financial Aid at UC Merced

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. UC Merced meets 78% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $23,591 a year.

The average student debt for graduates in the class of 2021 was around $17,413 per student, not including those with no debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at UC Merced. Based on this information, how does UC Merced sound? Remember, the best school for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So ask yourself: Is UC Merced a good school for you?

If University of California, Merced seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Doing Your Research?

Choose one of the options below to learn more about UC Merced:

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Where is UC Merced?

UC Merced is located in the small town setting of Merced, California, less than an hour from Fresno.

If you want to see UC Merced for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Highway 99 to Merced, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Fresno Yosemite International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what UC Merced and Merced are like without leaving home.

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