Dennis
New member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2026
- Messages
- 15
I get the same reaction every time: "Wait, there's a UC in Merced?" Yeah, there is. It opened in 2005. And being the newest UC is actually the best thing about it.
Everything is new. Like, literally new buildings, new dorms, new labs. My science building smells like fresh paint and has equipment that probably costs more than my house. You don't get that at 100-year-old campuses.
The research opportunities are insane for undergrads. Because we don't have layers of grad students and postdocs, undergrads actually get to do real research. I know freshmen who are already in labs.
The location is... different. Merced is in the Central Valley. It's hot. It's flat. It's not coastal California. But Yosemite is an hour away. The beach is 2 hours. San Francisco is 2.5. You're central to everything.
The diversity is real. High percentage of first-gen students, lots of Latinx and Asian students, lots of students from the Valley. It feels like California in a way that some other UCs don't.
We're growing fast. New buildings every year, new majors, new research centers. Being here feels like being part of something that's still being built.
If you want a UC degree, smaller class sizes, actual research access, and a more affordable cost of living, look at Merced. It's not for everyone, but for the right person, it's perfect.
Any other Bobcats? (Yes, our mascot is a bobcat. We're not creative but we're proud.)
Everything is new. Like, literally new buildings, new dorms, new labs. My science building smells like fresh paint and has equipment that probably costs more than my house. You don't get that at 100-year-old campuses.
The research opportunities are insane for undergrads. Because we don't have layers of grad students and postdocs, undergrads actually get to do real research. I know freshmen who are already in labs.
The location is... different. Merced is in the Central Valley. It's hot. It's flat. It's not coastal California. But Yosemite is an hour away. The beach is 2 hours. San Francisco is 2.5. You're central to everything.
The diversity is real. High percentage of first-gen students, lots of Latinx and Asian students, lots of students from the Valley. It feels like California in a way that some other UCs don't.
We're growing fast. New buildings every year, new majors, new research centers. Being here feels like being part of something that's still being built.
If you want a UC degree, smaller class sizes, actual research access, and a more affordable cost of living, look at Merced. It's not for everyone, but for the right person, it's perfect.
Any other Bobcats? (Yes, our mascot is a bobcat. We're not creative but we're proud.)