University Officials Cite Major Increases in Academic Offerings Facilities,
Extracurricular Activities for Surge in Student Interest

Highly qualified, diverse student population again a hallmark of campus

MERCED, CA— As the third academic year begins at the University of California, Merced, student enrollment has jumped sharply, with about 31 percent more students attending the newest UC campus this fall than last fall.

University officials said 837 new students have enrolled for first-semester classes, which began August 27. The total number of new students includes 669 freshmen, 116 transfer students and 52 graduate students. The total number of students enrolled in classes this semester is 1,871. Campus officials originally estimated 1,850 students.

Last year's comparable numbers were 398 freshmen, 102 transfer students and 43 graduate students, for a subtotal of 543 new students and a total of 1,286 students overall.

“We're very pleased with this fall's numbers,” said Chancellor Steve Kang. “It's exciting to see so many students from all over the state — actually all over the world — choosing to join us as we continue to build this university.”

Fall enrollment figures have come on the heels of an explosive summer session. There were 348 students taking classes on campus this past summer, compared to 98 in 2006.

With three years of student data to evaluate, Kang said the university can now do a much better job of estimating enrollment and preparing for student needs than in its initial years.

“We believe a net increase of 675 students a year is a realistic expectation now that we understand the challenges of growing a university,” he said. “Somewhat higher estimates that were made long before the university opened in 2005 were useful guidelines for planning purposes but never considered very reliable. The revised yearly growth rate is also consistent with the average yearly growth seen in the first five years of UC campuses at Irvine, San Diego and Santa Cruz.”

UCI, UCSD and UCSC all opened in the 1960s and, prior to UC Merced's opening, were the newest campuses in the UC system.

Now that the third-week census numbers have been compiled, UC Merced has a clear picture of the student body make-up. As has been the case since the campus opened, Asian American students are the largest individual group. This year, the number of Asian American students has declined slightly, while the university's Hispanic population has continued to grow.

Ethnicity

Geographic Origin

UC Merced continues to attract students from the San Joaquin Valley, with about one-third of the students calling the Valley home.

First-Generation Students

This year, 52.2 percent of the university's students state that neither of their parents have a four-year degree.

“There are many factors in our growing success,” said Kevin Browne, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management. “We have more academic offerings, increasing numbers of prospective students and their families are visiting campus, and more people are talking about us.”

The campus' development has contributed greatly to the number of students who want to get their degrees from UC Merced.

The campus opened in 2005 with nine academic majors and 47 faculty members. It now has 17 majors, 16 minors and nearly 100 faculty members. It also has an expanding list of cutting-edge research projects; a growing, developing campus; guaranteed housing for all freshmen; seven sports teams; and a diverse student population.

“These numbers indicate UC Merced is living up to its mission of expanding access to the University of California for qualified students,” Browne said. “We have the room to accommodate UC-eligible applicants who are ranked in the top 12.5 percent — and because we are growing, we can continue to guarantee admission to high-quality students.”

In the past year alone, UC Merced has seen:

• Expanding research opportunities for undergraduates
• New and expanded programs to enhance the college experience, such as the Yosemite Leadership Program and Service Learning
• The advent of competitive club sports teams
• The opening of the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center
• The count of student clubs and organizations growing to more than 80
• The rise of brand-new on-campus housing

UC Merced officials are pleased the campus has become part of the San Joaquin Valley's increasing college-going culture by expanding interest in both UC Merced and in the UC system in general. Historically, college-going rates in the Valley have been among the lowest in the state. UC Merced has a special mission to help increase awareness of the lifelong value of a UC education.

Student surveys and focus groups indicate that many students choose UC Merced because even as it is growing, with a focus on research, it retains its intimate and friendly feel. Students have more access to their professors than at most other campuses and find it easy to create social networks, too.

Another big factor in UC Merced's growth is that prospective students are hearing about the university from people they know who attend.

“Our students have been particularly helpful in recruiting others, as they pass the word along about what our campus has to offer,” Browne said. “As prospective students hear about the great experiences our Bobcats are having, they want to be part of it.”

Graduate Studies

Of the 1,871 students on campus this semester, UC Merced now has 120 graduate students, many from other countries, such as Bolivia, China, Colombia, England, Germany, India, Japan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Nepal, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey.

Graduate students are most often drawn to UC Merced by the outstanding faculty. Finding the right advisor is the most important factor for a graduate student deciding where to pursue an advanced degree, and at UC Merced, they can choose from 90 professors who are research leaders in fields that matter for society's biggest problems — fields like psychology, economics, solar energy, biomedical sciences, water resources, world cultures and history, language acquisition and climate change.

These areas of study and many more are available to graduate students in individualized, interdisciplinary graduate programs that take advantage of UC Merced's solid relationships with respected institutions like the National Parks Service and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and bring together scholars from different fields to share ideas and help each other move forward.

UC Merced expects to award its first Ph.D.s in the next one to two years. Several students have already earned master's degrees from the campus.