Academic Distinction

UC Merced Named the 14th Best College in the Nation by Wall Street Journal

October 1, 2025

Following recognition as a Top 25 university by U.S. News & World Report, UC Merced has once again earned national acclaim, this time from the Wall Street Journal. In its 2026 report of the Best Colleges in the U.S., the highly respected media outlet has named UC Merced the 14th best college in...

CogSci Undergraduate Students Can Now Earn Honors for Research

Starting this fall, the Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences is offering an honors program for undergraduate students. Each student who is majoring in cognitive science and enrolled...

UC Merced graduate student Josiah Beharry appointed as 2024-25 UC student Regent

The University of California Board of Regents has appointed University of California, Merced graduate student Josiah Beharry to be the 2024-25 student Regent. Beharry is the 50th student...

Students walk across campus at UC Merced.

UC Merced First Among Young Universities in New Ranking

On the heels of Money magazine's impressive rating, UC Merced has risen to the top of another list. The university has claimed the No.1 spot in the nation on Times Higher Education's (THE)...

Students stroll along Academic Walk at UC Merced.

UC Merced Shines in Money Magazine's 'Best Colleges 2023' Report

UC Merced ranks among the top universities in the nation, according to a new report by Money magazine that scored over 700 four-year colleges. To compile its annual "Best Colleges in America...

Academic Senate Honors Faculty Members with Annual Awards

Each year, faculty members are specially recognized by their peers in the Academic Senate for a variety of accomplishments. This year’s Academic Senate awards honor faculty from across the...

CAREER Award will Fund Research into Arthritis Cause

Professor Roberto Andresen Eguiluz has received a CAREER award for his research into the underlying cause of arthritis. He is the 33rd researcher from UC Merced to earn a CAREER award...

A child plays with blocks in a classroom.

UC Merced Leading Effort to Boost Number of Early Childhood Teachers with $1.8 Million

To ensure the youngest students are ready for the K-12 education system, UC Merced is leading a joint effort to attract and prepare more transitional kindergarten (TK) teachers to serve in classrooms...

Professors Joshua Viers, left, and Tom Harmon share oversight of the new smart farm being constructed next to campus. The farm will be UC Merced's AES site.

UC Merced Gains Prestigious UC Agricultural Experiment Station Designation

UCs Merced and Santa Cruz became the newest campuses in the system to be named an agricultural experiment stations (AES), UC President Michael Drake announced at today’s Regents’...

UC Merced has been ranked in the top 100 national universities by U.S. News & World Report

Campus Named Among Top 100 National Universities by U.S. News Three Years Running

UC Merced continues to build a national reputation for its academic distinction and research excellence. For three consecutive years, UC Merced has been ranked in the top 100 national universities...

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