UC Merced, founded in 2005 as the first US research university opened in the 21st century, is already renowned as one of the top universities for both academic quality and ability to transform the lives of graduates.
The university is highly ranked by several prestigious publications such as U.S. News & World Report, Washington Monthly, The Princeton Review, Money and others. It is increasingly recognized for its outstanding academic programs and for its commitment to environmental sustainability.
Here is a selection of UC Merced’s top rankings:
Recent Rankings
- Rising 72 spots in just four years to Top 100 (USNWR).
- Top 20 | No. 18 among R2s (USNWR)
- Top 20 | No. 17 Best Public Undergraduate Teaching (USNWR)
- Top 40 | No. 38 among publics (USNWR)
- Top 100 | No. 93 Overall (USNWR)
- Top 100 | No. 57 Most Innovative Schools (USNWR)
- No. 3 Young University (Times Higher Ed)
- No. 4 for social mobility (USNWR)
- No. 7 Top Ten “Cool School,” Sierra magazine ‘2021 Cool Schools’ list
- No. 8 Economic Diversity (USNWR)
- No. 12 most transformative colleges (Money’s 2020 Best Colleges)
- No. 19 for social mobility (Washington Monthly’s 2020 College Guide and Rankings)
- Best Bang for your Buck (Washington Monthly)
- 2022 Green Honor Roll (Princeton Review)
- America’s Top Colleges (Forbes, 2022)
- University of the Year (Education Dive's Dive Awards, 2018)
- “Best 386 Colleges,” three consecutive years (Princeton Review)
- No. 131 for undergraduate engineering (among Ph.D.-granting schools) (US News & World Report)
- High marks for “Quality of Life Rating” (Princeton Review)
- Highest marks on “Green Rating” (Princeton Review)
- High marks for “Fire Safety Rating” (Princeton Review)
Social Mobility
