Only two decades after opening its doors to undergraduate students, the University of California, Merced has become a significant force in academic research, workforce development, and regional economic growth. Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz highlighted these achievements during his annual State of the University address delivered to campus and community leaders as well as members of the UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees.
Reflecting on the university’s early days in 2005, Muñoz recalled that only a few buildings were completed at the time and most classes took place in the library. He quoted founding Chancellor Carol Tomlinson-Keasey’s inaugural remarks: “UC Merced resolved to reach the high standards for education and innovation set by the University of California’s previous nine campuses. The chancellor knew then, as I do now, that the people assembled to learn, to teach, to work and inquire at UC Merced have indeed been and remain categorically up to the task.”
Muñoz also announced a new endowment created by Keith Alley—UC Merced’s founding vice chancellor for research and graduate dean—and his wife Jill. The Alleys pledged up to $2 million to support undergraduate student research.
Among key milestones shared in Muñoz’s address was UC Merced’s growing economic footprint. According to a recent study commissioned by the university from Beacon Economics, UC Merced contributes about $1 billion annually to Merced County’s economy and nearly $1.4 billion statewide. The institution supports one out of every 15 jobs in Merced County and over 8,600 jobs across California. Its research activity alone generates $158 million in economic output statewide; each dollar invested in research is estimated to double in economic impact.
The university has also advanced in national rankings. U.S. News & World Report ranked UC Merced 25th among public universities while The Wall Street Journal placed it 14th among all universities nationwide. Both outlets ranked UC Merced third for social mobility—a measure reflecting how much students’ lives improve through education.
Student demographics were another point of pride: more than 95 percent of students are Californians with almost 40 percent hailing from the Central Valley region. Additionally, 65 percent of new enrollees this semester are first-generation college students.
Efforts like the Merced Automatic Admissions Program (MAAP) continue expanding access by streamlining applications for eligible high schoolers; Fresno Unified School District joined MAAP this September alongside roughly 40 other districts statewide.
Earlier this year, UC Merced achieved R1 status from the Carnegie Foundation—the highest classification for public research universities—and also received Carnegie’s new “opportunity” designation for its commitment to serving underrepresented or low-income students and graduating individuals who surpass expected earnings benchmarks. Only three universities in California hold both distinctions.
Other updates included ongoing projects such as expansion of the Agricultural Experiment Station, construction of new educational facilities and housing for transfer students, and continued progress on training local physicians through programs like San Joaquin Valley PRIME+.
Muñoz concluded by referencing Tomlinson-Keasey’s vision: “She said, ‘Our university will not be finished in 20 years, not in 50 years, not in many lifetimes. But let us begin.’ I am so very proud of what we have become at UC Merced. I am in awe of what we can be. As my predecessor said 20 years ago, I say again today: Let us begin.”
