University of California, Merced
Academics

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How strong are the academics at University of California, Merced?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

21:1
Student to faculty ratio
43
Average class size
51%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

UC Merced has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 21:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
28
10-19
124
20-29
221
30-39
50
40-49
24
50-99
114
100+
92

Honors Programs

University of California, Merced has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on UC Merced's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at University of California, Merced:

82%
First-year retention rate
51%
4-year grad rate
69%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are University of California, Merced's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Research and Experimental Psychology, Other
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Computer Engineering, General
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other
Mechanical Engineering
101.6
146.48
191.36
236.24
281.12
326

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • Ethnic Studies 8
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 8
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 286
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 1
Business
  • Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 177
  • Business Administration and Management, General 0
  • Management Science 0
Engineering
  • Computer Engineering, General 184
  • Mechanical Engineering 139
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 30
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 18
  • Materials Engineering 10
  • Civil Engineering, General 3
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 29
Foreign Languages
  • Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 13
  • Comparative Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Public Health, General 93
  • Public Health, General 5
History
  • History, General 25
  • History, Other 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Applied Mathematics, General 25
  • Applied Mathematics, General 3
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Cognitive Science, General 38
  • Cognitive Science, General 5
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 4
  • Philosophy 1
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 18
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 16
  • Physics, General 14
  • Physics, General 1
  • Chemistry, General 1
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 326
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 38
  • Psychology, General 0
Social Sciences
  • Sociology, General 79
  • Political Science and Government, General 54
  • Economics, General 16
  • Anthropology, General 12
  • Sociology, General 6
  • Political Science and Government, General 5
  • Economics, General 1
  • Social Sciences, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Visual and Performing Arts, General 15
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CollegeIQ® relies on data from government and private resources. Always confer with the individual college or university for the most recent data. Learn more about our data and methodology.

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