Campus Life

UC Merced’s upward trajectory shows no signs of slowing as the university has cracked the Top 25 of U.S. News & World Report’s best public schools in the nation.

The annual survey, which evaluates nearly 1,700 national public and private colleges and universities, also placed UC Merced No. 57 overall among all universities and No. 3 in the nation for social mobility.

Gary Stewart, who has won 385 career games across all levels of NCAA basketball, has been named the University of California, Merced head men's basketball coach, Executive Director of Recreation & Athletics David Dunham announced today.

The UC Merced Safety Conference will begin Sept. 23, offering attendees a chance to explore the latest trends, strategies and innovations in safety while connecting with experts and peers. The two-day conference aims to deliver real-world solutions to strengthen safety collaboration across institutions and communities.

This year’s event will feature presentations led by nationally recognized professionals, equipping participants with knowledge and practical tools to address today’s most pressing safety challenges.

The stethoscopes may come later, but the commitment to community was clear as UC Merced welcomed its newest SJV PRIME+ students last weekend. The Student and Family Welcome event marked the beginning of an eight-year journey for 15 students who will progress from bachelor’s degrees at UC Merced to medical degrees from the UCSF School of Medicine, and complete clinical training at UCSF Fresno — all with a shared mission to strengthen health care in the San Joaquin Valley. 

Twenty years to the day after students first crossed Scholars Bridge into the campus, UC Merced celebrated its milestone birthday with a party, a drone show, and the university’s first NCAA Division II sporting event.

Spirits were high and futures bright while all else was soaked in a summer storm that made Tuesday morning’s Scholars Bridge Crossing, UC Merced’s traditional greeting to new students, a welcome unlike any before.

Call them Thunder ‘Cats.

The ceremony embraced about 2,000 first-year and transfer students to a campus that this fall semester marks 20 years since the first undergraduate class began at the newly built institution, bringing the power of a University of California education to the Central Valley.

The new academic year is a momentous milestone for UC Merced — two decades of growth, innovation and achievement. In 2005, the first undergraduate students were welcomed on the new campus. Now, 20 years later, thousands more new students will begin their own journeys that will shape their futures and the future of UC Merced.

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 graduation rates, cost of attendance, instructor access and economic mobility.

UC Merced's Makerspace lab has been living up to its name recently.

The School of Engineering's lab, housed in the Sustainability Research and Engineering building, has been increasingly busy. The Makerspace offers services to courses, research and campus clubs.

UC Merced students, faculty and staff have access to a new safety tool: the Bobcat Safety App — the university's official safety app — launched by the UC Merced Police Department ahead of the new academic year.

The app integrates with UC Merced's safety and security systems. After downloading it to their mobile devices, students, staff and faculty will have access to essential campus safety resources and communication tools.