University of California-Merced
PublicMerced, CA
University of California-Merced is a public large school in Merced, CA, enrolling about 8,372 undergraduates. It's not highly selective, admitting a majority of applicants, admitting about 91% of applicants. Engineering graduates, especially in Computer Engineering, report the strongest earnings here: a median of $102,575/year. Most students arrange their own housing since on-campus living isn't required.
Admissions
Cost & outcomes
Out-of-state students pay $39,270 more per year in tuition and fees (3.3x the in-state rate).
Rate for students starting in 2026-27. The UC system holds each entering class's tuition steady for up to six years. The student health insurance fee, which can be waived, isn't included.
Tuition & fees are University of California-Merced's own published 2026-27 rates (source); other figures are from the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Tuition & fees are the sticker price for a full-time first-year undergrad, before financial aid, and don't include room and board.
Paying less as an out-of-state student
University of California-Merced takes part in this regional program, which can cut the out-of-state rate for students from nearby states.
Western Undergraduate Exchange
Students from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and the Pacific territories pay no more than 150% of in-state tuition. Each school sets its own requirements, often a GPA minimum, and some majors are left out.
Where do you stand against University of California-Merced's numbers?
Check your chances hereWhat admitted applicants who posted their results listed
29 admitted applicants who posted their profiles publicly, 2024–25 and 2025–26 admissions cycles. Too few rejected or waitlisted applicants have posted to compare, so every figure here describes admits only. It shows what admitted posters looked like, not what made the difference.
No SAT/ACT figures: University of California-Merced doesn't consider test scores, so none of these applicants' scores were in front of it.
Most common activities among admits
Most common awards among admits
Who the admitted posters were
How this compares across big public universities: Big Public University Accepted vs. Rejected Applicants →
These are people who chose to post their results publicly, mostly on Reddit -- a group that skews toward high scores and STEM. They describe posters, not University of California-Merced's admitted class, and recruited athletes are left out. Expect these medians to run above the school's real admitted class. For official numbers, use the admissions figures above.
See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what University of California-Merced weighs in your application
Paying it back
"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.
Majors & earnings
Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.
Campus life
Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.
What matters in your application
From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.
Frequently asked questions
What is University of California-Merced's acceptance rate?
University of California-Merced in Merced, CA admits approximately 91% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.
How much does University of California-Merced cost?
University of California-Merced's total cost of attendance is reported at $39,665 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.
Does University of California-Merced offer reduced tuition for out-of-state students?
Yes -- University of California-Merced takes part in the Western Undergraduate Exchange, a regional program that lets qualifying out-of-state students pay less than the full out-of-state rate. Eligibility depends on your home state, and the school sets its own requirements.
What is out-of-state tuition at University of California-Merced?
For 2026-27, University of California-Merced's tuition and required fees are $56,194 for out-of-state students and $16,924 for in-state students -- $39,270 more per year for out-of-state students. That's before financial aid, and room and board are extra.
Does University of California-Merced require students to live on campus?
No -- University of California-Merced doesn't require students to live in on-campus housing.
Related reading
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