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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...

Chemistry Professor Making the Most of his Waste

Chemistry Professor Jason Hein and his students make a lot of compounds in the lab. They also make a lot of chemical waste. But Hein found a way to clean up the waste and reuse it, saving money and...

Professor: In Politics, It’s Not Just What You Say, It’s How You Say It

In an election year, as people are being machine-gunned with millions of dollars’ worth of political messages from all sorts of sources, it might be re-assuring (or distressing) to discover that even...

Author of Controversial Chavez Book to Speak on Campus

The author of a controversial new book offering fresh insight into Cesar Chavez and the labor union he led will speak Oct. 22 at UC Merced. In “From the Jaws of Victory: The Triumph and Tragedy of...

Founders Day Events Highlight Campus's First 10 Years

UC Merced will commemorate the 10th anniversary of its groundbreaking with a series of Founders Day events Oct. 25 through 27. Several events throughout the three-day celebration will recognize...

Transfer Student Uses Sports, Academics to Inspire Local Youth

At 33, Nick Navarrette isn’t the average UC Merced student. He’s not even the average transfer student. Then again, Navarrette has never been “average,” nor does he pretend to be. Maybe that’s why...

Robotics Society Navigates Uncharted Courses

Sometimes, all you need is a little push, even if it comes from a mechanical arm. That was the case with the UC Merced Robotics Society, which began in 2008 but languished after its founders...

Enrollment Continues to Climb at UC Merced

The University of California, Merced, began its eighth academic year with 5,760 undergraduate and graduate students, up nearly 11 percent to a new high, according to data released today (Sept. 27)....

UC Merced the Focus of Global Sustainable Design Contest

MERCED, Calif. — A global sustainable architecture competition is turning all eyes to the University of California, Merced, the newest campus in the UC system, and the only one to have all its...

Student, Faculty Music Projects Enlivening Area Scene

Professor Arnold Kim’s music couldn’t be more different than that of student-staff-alumni band Feeling Gravity’s Pull. Kim’s The Yellow Hope Project work is heavily influenced by what he has been...