‘It’s ours!’ Merced selected for UC’s newest campus 30 years ago
May 23, 2025 •
The UC Merced campus, the newest in the University of California system, has come a long way since its approval 30 years ago. (Credit: Elena Zhukova/University of California)
On May 18, 1995, the University of California Board of Regents voted to select Merced as the site for its ninth undergraduate campus.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of this community, the way we pulled together and stuck together,” said then-City Councilman Dennis Cardoza, who later would serve in the state Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Since then, UC Merced has stayed true to its founding mission: expanding access to a University of California education. The campus has grown from its modest beginnings into a premier research institution and is now consistently among the highest-ranked universities for social mobility. And, its student population is mainly from California, the first in their families to attend college and reflects the state’s diverse population.
Read more about the rise of UC Merced at the UC Newsroom
Tags: social mobility, student access and opportunity, UC Merced
