University_of_California,_Merced

The University of California, Merced (UC Merced or colloquially, UCM) is a public land-grant research university in Merced, California. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California (UC) system. Established in 2005, UC Merced is the newest campus within the UC system. The primary campus is located around five miles north of Merced and sits adjacent to Lake Yosemite. The main campus is around 1,026 acres (415 ha) in size, and total land owned by the university amounts to around 8,195 acres (3,316 ha) including large areas of preserve land. Large swaths of almond orchards and natural grasslands surround the university.
The forming of UC Merced was initiated to address the large population growth of the Central Valley and the San Joaquin Valley, and to make higher education more accessible for students in the region. UCM is also being developed keeping in mind future growth projections for the UC System. UC Merced consists of three undergraduate, graduate and professional schools with a medical school in the works. The upcoming medical school is being established in partnership with UCSF and UCSF Fresno. UC Merced offers over 60 undergraduate degrees and 18 graduate and professional degrees, and roughly 8,000 undergraduates and 700 graduate students are enrolled at UCM as of Fall 2023. The university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity", and had $45.9 million in research and development expenditures in 2021.UC Merced is one of the largest employers in Merced County, and contributes about $1.7 billion to the economy of the San Joaquin Valley. Every building on the campus is LEED certified with the majority being certified gold. The UC Merced Golden Bobcats currently compete in the NAIA as members of the Cal Pac. From 2025, the University plans to move up to the NCAA Division II. Additionally, of the current faculty, one has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.