MERCED, Calif. — The University of California campus in Merced is celebrating 20 years since opening — and campus officials say it’s yielded sizable results for the San Joaquin Valley region.
Officials and the community got a chance to look back at UC Merced’s progress over time at the State of the University event held Wednesday. Founding members of the campus, city councilmembers, and educational leaders attended.
Just under 9,000 students are enrolled overall at the campus, which is the only UC in the Valley – and the youngest. When the campus opened in 2005, it welcomed just under 900 students.
At the ceremony, Chancellor Juan Sanchez Munoz pointed to the projections of the inaugural chancellor, Carol Tomlinson-Keasey, who said she would be amazed if the campus reached 1,000 students.
"We've exceeded her projections,” Munoz said. “Ninety-five percent of today's Bobcats are California residents, which speaks to the purpose and the mission of the University of California to prepare the young people of the state.”
The university also enrolls many students from the Central Valley. This year, 40% of new students hail from the Valley. Munoz attributed this to the university’s focus on partnerships with Valley schools to make local admissions more accessible.
The Merced Automatic Admission Program, which guarantees admission if certain criteria are met, such as a 3.5 GPA, is now offered to 40 California school districts, including Merced Union High School District and Fresno Unified.
The university’s establishment has led to more than 8,000 jobs across the state and one in every 15 jobs in Merced County, according to a study commissioned by UC Merced and conducted by Beacon Economics.
Munoz also bragged about the campus's rise in national collegiate rankings. UC Merced is now the 57th top university among private and public institutions nationwide, according to U.S. News and World Report, and has jumped the ranks nearly every year. UC Merced continues to maintain high rankings in the Wall Street Journal for social mobility — it was No. 1 in the nation last year and No. 3 this year.
The campus also gained prestigious designations, including R1 status for spending $63 million on research last year and awarding at least 70 doctorates per year.
The university is still growing, Munoz said. Construction for the medical education building is set to finish in 2026, and the UC plans to build a new office and classroom building with a theater as well as a field education research center. He said this is all part of a greater vision for UC Merced as it continues to grow.
Munoz reflected a lot on UC Merced’s beginnings and decided to close the event with a quote from Tomlinson-Keasey at the start of the university’s journey.
“‘Our university will not be finished in 20 years…, not in 50 years, not in many lifetimes, but let us begin,’” Munoz said. “As my predecessor said 20 years ago, I will repeat again today. Let us begin.”
