Top high schools for UC Merced
Fall 2025: every California high school with applicants to UC Merced, from the University of California.
Fall 2026 preliminary: UC Merced admitted 41,149 California first-years, down 636 from fall 2025 at the same point. Offers as of June 17, 2026 (UC); school-by-school numbers come later.
California applicants admitted
96%
UC Merced admits 96% of applicants from California high schools
The tick is the overall rate: 39% of all applicants, including out-of-state and international, in fall 2023.
Average GPA, California admits (2025)
3.83applicants averaged 3.79
UC's weighted, capped GPA, averaged over the California high schools UC reports a GPA for.
Enrolled freshmen scores, middle 50% (2020)
UC and CSU no longer consider SAT/ACT scores; last reported 2020.
Who gets in: residency and transfers
Applicants to UC Merced by where they live, for fall 2025.
First-year students
California resident 89%Out-of-state (U.S.) 3%International 8%
| Residency | Applicants | Admitted | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| California resident | 43,040 | 41,448 | 96% |
| Out-of-state (U.S.) | 1,483 | 1,244 | 84% |
| International | 4,843 | 3,873 | 80% |
Transfer students
California resident 92%Out-of-state (U.S.) 1%International 7%
| Residency | Applicants | Admitted | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| California resident | 4,669 | 3,417 | 73% |
| Out-of-state (U.S.) | 113 | 34 | 30% |
| International | 400 | 264 | 66% |
Counts applications to this campus, so a student who applied to several UC campuses appears at each. Out-of-state means U.S. residents of other states; international means students living outside the U.S. Transfer figures include applicants from every residency. A dash means UC hides a figure that is too small to publish. Source: University of California Information Center.
Admits by intended major
What applicants to UC Merced said they wanted to study, grouped into broad areas, for fall 2025.
Admit rate for this areaUC Merced overall: 94%
| Middle 50% admit GPA | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 11,565 | 11,206 | 3.69 – 4.21 | |
| Life Sciences | 10,012 | 9,646 | 3.62 – 4.18 | |
| Social Sciences | 8,622 | 8,049 | 3.47 – 4.08 | |
| Undeclared | 5,013 | 4,576 | 3.40 – 4.02 | |
| Business | 3,674 | 3,382 | 3.45 – 4.06 | |
| Physical Sciences/Math | 3,227 | 3,008 | 3.66 – 4.20 | |
| Other/Interdisciplinary | 3,176 | 2,909 | 3.48 – 4.11 | |
| Public Health | 2,452 | 2,313 | 3.45 – 4.08 | |
| Arts & Humanities | 1,625 | 1,476 | 3.50 – 4.08 |
Counts all applicants, including out-of-state and international, so the rate differs from the California-only rate above. Areas with very few applicants, admits or enrolled students are hidden. Major is generally not a factor in UC admission, though some campuses admit directly into a major. Source: University of California Information Center.
Most admitted to UC Merced
- 1.Dougherty Valley High SchoolContra Costa443 admitted
- 2.Dublin High SchoolAlameda312 admitted
- 3.American High SchoolAlameda275 admitted
- 4.Mountain House High SchoolSan Joaquin251 admitted
- 5.Irvington High SchoolAlameda245 admitted
- 6.Mission San Jose High SchoolAlameda239 admitted
- 7.California High SchoolContra Costa201 admitted
- 8.Monta Vista High SchoolSanta Clara194 admitted
- 9.Evergreen Valley High SchoolSanta Clara182 admitted
- 10.Lowell High SchoolSan Francisco180 admitted
Highest UC Merced admit rate
- 1.Lynbrook High SchoolSanta Clara100% of 158
- 2.Franklin High SchoolSacramento100% of 104
- 3.Leland High SchoolSanta Clara100% of 99
- 4.Irvine High SchoolOrange100% of 89
- 5.La Quinta High SchoolOrange100% of 87
- 6.Los Gatos High SchoolSanta Clara100% of 86
- 7.St. Francis High SchoolSanta Clara100% of 80
- 8.Torrey Pines High SchoolSan Diego100% of 75
- 9.Central Valley High SchoolStanislaus100% of 71
- 10.South Pasadena Senior High SchoolLos Angeles100% of 65
The admit rate list only includes schools with at least 25 applicants, so a school where a handful applied and all got in does not top it. Admitted counts each student once for this campus.
Showing 1–50 of 629 schools
The tick marks UC Merced's overall admit rate. Admit GPA is the average UC-calculated GPA (weighted, capped) of each school's admitted students.