UC Merced

UC Merced is located in Merced, a small city in the San Joaquin Valley of Northern California. Merced is less than two hours to Yosemite National Park to the east and Monterey Bay to the west. Merced is more of a rural area. 

Also, UC Merced opened in 2005 and it has a substantially lower undergraduate enrollmentthan the rest of the UCs.

Some students wish that Merced was more of an exciting town while others appreciate the smaller tight-knit community on campus and the small town feel of Merced. Furthermore, many students seem to appreciate that they’re part of creating the on-campus culture at UC Merced because it’s only 10 years old. They get to start organizations and leave a lasting legacy for future students.