UC Merced Acceptance Rate and SAT/ACT Scores

University of California-Merced Admission Requirements and Statistics

[updated for 2024-2025 admission data]

How hard is UC Merced to get into?

This page provides the latest information on University of California-Merced (UC Merced)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. UC Merced's acceptance rate is 90.53% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 31,928 students applied and 28,906 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is relatively high, making it somewhat easy to get into UC Merced.

To apply to UC Merced, personal statement (or essay) is required to submit.

UC Merced's acceptance rate places 57th out of 118 California colleges with competitive admission.
UC Merced's yield rate is 7.24%, which is significantly lower by 22.19 percentage points (approximately 75.4% lower) compared to similar colleges with acceptance rates between 90% and 100% (average yield: 29.43%). You can compare colleges with similar acceptance rates to UC Merced at California colleges with acceptance rates higher than 70%.

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2024-25, UC Merced's acceptance rate is 90.53% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 7.24%. 15,900 men and 16,028 women applied to UC Merced and 14,286 men and 14,620 women students were accepted.

Among them, 1,201 men and 892 women were enrolled in UC Merced. You can explore the UC Merced's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at UC Merced
	Total	Men	Women	Another Gender	Gender Unknown
Applicants	31,928	15,900	16,028	0	0
Admitted	28,906	14,286	14,620	0	0
Enrolled	2,093	1,201	892	0	0
Acceptance Rate	90.53%	89.85%	91.22%	-	-
Yield	7.24%	8.41%	6.10%	-	-

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

University of California-Merced 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

First-year Enrollment by Gender and Enrolled Type

For the academic year 2024-25, total 2,093 first-year students enrolled in UC Merced. The proportion of full-time students is 99.04% and part-time students is 0.96%.

By gender, the proportion of men students is 57.38% and women students is 42.62%.

The following table shows the first-year students by gender and enrolled type at UC Merced.

First-Year Students by Gender and Enrolled Type at UC Merced
	Total	Men	Women
Total	2,093	1,201	892
Full-time	2,073	1,188	885
Part-time	20	13	7

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School GPA, High School Record (or Transcript), Completion of College Preparatory Program, English Proficiency Test, and Personal statement or essay to its applicants.

The SAT and ACT test score is not considered in admission process at UC Merced. The english proficiency test is required .

The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply University of California-Merced.

For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .

UC Merced Admission Requirements
High School GPA	Required
High School Rank	Not Considered
High School Record (or Transcript)	Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program	Required
Recommendations	Not Considered
Formal Demonstration of Competencies	Not Considered
SAT / ACT	Not Considered
English Proficiency Test	Required
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)	Not Considered
Work experience	Considered, if submitted
Personal statement or essay	Required
Legacy status	Not Considered

General Admissions Information

The following provides general admission information for applying to UC Merced:

Open Admission Policy: No
Undergraduate Application Fees: -
Graduate Application Fees: -
Admission Information: admissions.ucmerced.edu/
Online Application: admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply-now.html
Calendar System: Semester
Course for High School Students: Not Offered
Credits Accepted: Advanced placement (AP) Credits
Degree Offered: Bachelor, Master, Doctoral (Research)

Get Admission Information

What is the acceptance rate at the UC Merced?

UC Merced is relatively easy to get into, with an acceptance rate of 90.53%.

What SAT or ACT scores are required for admission to UC Merced?

UC Merced does not require or recommend SAT or ACT scores for admission. However, some programs may have different requirements.

Does UC Merced require essays or personal statements?

Yes, UC Merced requires applicants to submit a personal essay or statement as part of the application.

Are recommendation letters required for UC Merced admission?

UC Merced does not require or recommend a recommendation letter for admission. However, it may be required for certain programs or scholarships.

Is there an application fee?

UC Merced does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.

Do I need to submit my high school transcript?

Yes, UC Merced requires applicants to submit high school GPA, high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.

Are there any specific admission requirements for international students?

Yes, UC Merced requires international applicants to submit an English proficiency test (like TOEFL or IELTS) as part of the application.

What is SAT code and ACT code for UC Merced?

The institutional SAT and ACT codes for UC Merced are not available. Please check the official admissions website for the most up-to-date information.