First. Further. Forward

UC Merced Recognized Nationally for Excellence, Affordability and Student Success

July 30, 2025

UC Merced remains one of the top universities in the nation according to Money’s 2025 “Best Colleges in America” report. The university earned 4.5 stars out of 5 in Money’s latest poll, which scores over 700 schools. The ratings are based on several factors, including...

Current students holding signs welcoming new students

UC Merced: Another Double-digit Rise in Applications

Nearly 33,000 prospective first-year and transfer students applied to UC Merced for the fall 2024 semester — a 12% increase from last year’s applicant pool. “It is clear that the...

Jennifer Pett-Ridge addresses dozens of attendees at the Roads to Removal symposium at UC Merced.

'Roads to Removal' Symposium Looks at Opportunities to Fight Climate Change

Discussions around climate change often center around the bad news - the planet is warming, weather is getting more extreme, resources are increasingly scarce. But there also is cause for...

Members of UC Merced's Black Student Coalition are shown.

Black Student Coalition Grows - A Lot

Editor's note: In honor of Black History Month, the UC Merced newsroom is highlighting some of the organizations, services and people who serve or represent the Black community on campus. UC...

UC Merced student Tejas Bhartia is pictured next to a NASA sign

Internship at NASA Yields Long-lasting Results for Student, Space Agency

A UC Merced undergraduate student's work at NASA helped ensure the space agency will have cost-effective and efficient communications. Tejas Bhartiya, who recently graduated from the...

Orquidea Largo and Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz are seen in side-by-side images.

Grant Supports UC Merced Effort to Improve College Readiness in Valley

A significant grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will advance UC Merced's efforts to create a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of college readiness among high-school...

A forest fire is pictured in a photo from "California's Watershed Healing"

New Film Profiles Immediate Actions to Restore California's Wildfire-vulnerable Forests

The new film "California's Watershed Healing" documents the huge benefits that result from restoring forests to healthier densities. UC Merced's Sierra Nevada Research Institute...

A portrait of Charah Coleman, director of the UC Merced Black Alliance

Black Alliance at UC Merced Growing, Serving and Advocating

Editor's note: In honor of Black History Month, the UC Merced newsroom is highlighting some of the organizations, services and people who serve or represent the Black community on campus. An...

Journal Published UC Merced Public Health Professor's Study on Violence and Suicidal Behavior

A study conducted by a UC Merced researcher found that people injured through violent acts have a substantially higher risk to die by or attempt suicide. The study, conducted by public health...

As climate warms, the snowline, or rain/snow transition elevation, moves to higher elevations, placing some historically snow-dominated sites in the rain zone. Photo by Roger Bales at Crane Flat in Yosemite National Park

Warming Climate Pushes Rain to Higher Elevations, Raising Flooding Risks

A new study co-authored by UC Merced researchers assesses the effect of a warming climate in pushing the elevation of snow to rain higher during a storm, increasing runoff and the risk of flooding...