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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...

UC Merced Named Top 25 Public University by U.S. News & World Report

UC Merced’s upward trajectory shows no signs of slowing as the university has cracked the Top 25 of U.S. News & World Report’s best public schools in the nation. The annual survey...

UC Merced Safety Conference Returns With Experts’ Real-world Safety Solutions

The UC Merced Safety Conference will begin Sept. 23, offering attendees a chance to explore the latest trends, strategies and innovations in safety while connecting with experts and peers. The two-...

Open Arms, Open Skies: Students Welcomed at Spirited, Soggy Scholars Bridge Crossing

Spirits were high and futures bright while all else was soaked in a summer storm that made Tuesday morning’s Scholars Bridge Crossing, UC Merced’s traditional greeting to new students, a...

UC Merced Marks 20th Year with New Academic Programs, First DII Season and Celebration

The new academic year is a momentous milestone for UC Merced — two decades of growth, innovation and achievement. In 2005, the first undergraduate students were welcomed on the new campus. Now...

Two people with a banner, blue and yellow graphic reading "Bobcat Bound."

Incoming Bobcats ‘Grew Up’ with UC Merced

This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2025 semester. One could say UC Merced has always been part of incoming Bobcats Ella and Satchel Ortez...

New Alumni-Funded Endowment to Champion LGBTQ+ Initiatives at UC Merced

A group of dedicated UC Merced alumni have come together to launch an endowed fund focused on supporting LGBTQ+ student initiatives, programs and priorities. Spearheaded by University of...

Interdisciplinary Humanities Ph.D. graduate Nicolette Lecy and her 4-year-old son, Alejandro

Humanities Grad Student Advocates for Student Parents

When Nicolette Lecy began her graduate studies at UC Merced, life was anything but typical. It was August 2020, in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lecy’s classes were held remotely, and...

UC Merced Police Debut Bobcat Safety App to Enhance Campus Security

UC Merced students, faculty and staff have access to a new safety tool: the Bobcat Safety App — the university's official safety app — launched by the UC Merced Police...

UC Merced Graduates Encouraged to Embrace Every Moment

With cheers, hugs and leis, more than 1,500 UC Merced graduates received a celebratory sendoff to their bright futures as a prominent keynote speaker told them to make the most of the here and now...