University of California-Merced
Merced, California · Also known as UC Merced · Website
$64,368
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$64,368
median earnings, 10 years after starting
University of California-Merced is a public 4-year college in Merced, California with 8,372 undergraduates and 738 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $11,983 a year (tuition and fees $15,623 in-state, $49,823 out-of-state). It admits 91% of applicants and 69% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $64,368 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $16,144 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$11,983
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$15,623
Out-of-state $49,823
Admission rate
91%
US median 78%
Completion rate
69%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$16,144
About $171 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$64,368
Rank 553 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $11,983
- Tuition in-state
- $15,623
- Tuition out-of-state
- $49,823
- Cost of attendance
- $39,665
- Students with a need-based grant
- 59%
- Students with federal loans
- 29%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $7,945
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $8,465
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $11,557
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $14,828
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $28,734
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $13,208 in 2015-16 to $15,623 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 91%
- Undergraduates
- 8,372
- Graduate students
- 738
- Part-time students
- 1.6%
- Women
- 45%
- Students per teacher
- 20
- Completion rate
- 69%
- Retention rate
- 82%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 71
- Endowment
- $32.7M
- Other
- Hispanic-serving
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 553 of 5,094 US colleges and 92 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $11,983 | $20,161 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $15,623 | $8,086 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 91% | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 69% | 64% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 82% | 80% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $16,144 | $11,537 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $48,475 | $36,048 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $64,368 | $41,472 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 65% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 75% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
71 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research and Experimental PsychologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 365 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 308 | $18,000 | $36,140 | $59,249 | $57,214 |
| Computer EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 217 | $19,003 | $58,835 | $102,575 | $109,015 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 187 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 150 | $18,498 | $67,096 | $95,040 | $92,135 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 112 | $15,250 | $36,555 | $56,393 | $58,808 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 102 | $17,132 | $29,153 | $62,815 | $63,293 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 95 | $17,500 | $37,092 | $50,468 | $52,657 |
| Cognitive ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 54 | $20,105 | $32,419 | $51,147 | $81,496 |
| Biomedical/Medical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $20,816 | $57,223 | $88,795 | $93,451 |
| Applied MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 38 | $15,500 | $39,138 | $82,156 | $91,532 |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $14,500 | $50,944 | $56,888 | $65,120 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $19,303 | $51,212 | $67,692 | $82,686 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $24,000 | $29,152 | $58,623 | $48,590 |
| AnthropologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $46,676 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | $20,619 | $47,028 | $83,007 | $81,171 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical SciencesMaster's | Master's | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $76,837 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical SciencesDoctoral | Doctoral | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $99,578 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $60,190 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $15,455 | $26,103 | $44,144 | $50,680 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchDoctoral | Doctoral | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $87,076 |
| Mechanical EngineeringDoctoral | Doctoral | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $131,070 |
| ChemistryDoctoral | Doctoral | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $115,386 |
| Materials EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does University of California-Merced cost?
$11,983 a year is the average net price at University of California-Merced after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $15,623 for in-state students and $49,823 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $39,665. Families earning under $30,000 pay $7,945 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at University of California-Merced?
91% of applicants are admitted to University of California-Merced. The median admission rate of colleges in California is 76%.
How much do University of California-Merced graduates earn?
$64,368 a year is the median pay of former University of California-Merced students who work, 10 years after they started ($48,475 after 6 years). That ranks 553 of 5,094 US colleges and 92 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's) at $67,096.
How much student debt do University of California-Merced graduates have?
$16,144 is the median federal student loan debt of University of California-Merced graduates, about $171 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 29% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at University of California-Merced?
69% of first-time, full-time students at University of California-Merced finish within 6 years. 82% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at University of California-Merced?
Research and Experimental Psychology (365 bachelor's graduates), Biology, General (308 bachelor's graduates), Computer Engineering (217 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 71 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.