University of California, Merced
| Motto | Fiat lux (Latin) |
|---|---|
Motto in English | Let there be light |
| Type | Public land-grant research university |
| Established | September 5, 2005 |
Parent institution | University of California |
| Accreditation | WSCUC |
| Endowment | $32.9 million (2024) |
| Budget | $399.4 million (2022–23) |
| Chancellor | Juan Sánchez Muñoz |
| Provost | Betsy Dumont |
Academic staff | 1,359 (April 2023) |
Administrative staff | 2,816 (April 2023) |
| Students | 9,110 (fall 2024) |
| Undergraduates | 8,372 (fall 2024) |
| Postgraduates | 738 (fall 2024) |
| Location | , , United States 37°21′58″N 120°25′25″W / 37.366°N 120.4235°W |
| Campus | Fringe rural Core Campus: 245 acres (99 ha) Total: 8,195 acres (3,316 ha), 1,026 acres (415 ha) |
| Other campuses | |
| Newspaper | The Prodigy |
| Colors | Bobcat Blue Bobcat Gold |
| Nickname | Golden Bobcats |
Sporting affiliations |
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| Mascot | Rufus the Bobcat |
| Website | ucmerced.edu |
The University of California, Merced (UC Merced or colloquially, UCM) is a public land-grant research university in Merced, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California (UC) system. Established in 2005, UC Merced is the newest campus within the UC system. The primary campus is located around five miles north of Merced and sits adjacent to Lake Yosemite. The main campus is around 1,026 acres (415 hectares) in size. Large swaths of protected natural grasslands surround the university.
UC Merced was initiated because the population of the San Joaquin Valley had grown substantially. UC Merced consists of three undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. The upcoming medical school is being established in partnership with UCSF and their satellite campus, UCSF Fresno in order to address the lack of healthcare services available in the San Joaquin Valley. UC Merced offers over 60 undergraduate degrees and 18 graduate and professional degrees and roughly 8,000 undergraduates and 700 graduate students were enrolled at UCM as of fall 2023. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High research activity" and had $62.2 million in research and development expenditures in 2023.
UC Merced is one of the largest employers in Merced County. The UC Merced Golden Bobcats currently compete in the NAIA as members of the Cal Pac. In 2025, the university plans to move to NCAA Division II.