Merced, CA
Founded in 2005
The University of California, Merced (UCM), established in 2005, is a public research university located in the San Joaquin Valley in Central California, near the city of Merced. It is one of the campuses of the University of California system. UC Merced is dedicated to teaching, scientific research, and public service, inheriting the high research standards and quality of education of the University of California system while focusing on advanced research and the realization of environmentally sustainable construction. It is currently the only university campus in the United States where all buildings have received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Geographically, it is located more than two hours by car from San Francisco and is near two airports. UC Merced ranked 104th in the 2020 U.S. News rankings. The university has three main colleges: the School of Engineering, the School of Natural Sciences, and the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. It offers 21 undergraduate major programs and 12 graduate programs, with strong departments in engineering and psychology. In addition, UC Merced has five specialized research institutes: the Health Sciences Research Institute, Sierra Nevada Research Institute, UC Solar (Advanced Solar Energy Research Institute), CITRIS (Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society), and the UC Water (Water Quality and Sustainability Research Institute).