Merced College is a public two-year institution based in Merced, California. The campus sits in a small city. Fall 2024 enrollment was 12,472 students. It is part of California Community College System.
Merced College offers certificates and associate degrees across 97 programs. Its largest programs by number of graduates are Liberal Arts and Sciences, Psychology, General, and Welding Technology. It awarded 3,376 degrees and certificates in 2024-25.
The school has an open admission policy. 63% of full-time first-year students return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio is 28 to 1.
Key figures
Open
Admission policy
12,472
Students enrolled
63%
First-year retention
3,376
Degrees and certificates awarded, 2024-25
97
Programs and majors
28:1
Student-to-faculty ratio
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Delivery modes
CampusOnlineHybrid
Program levels
CertificateAssociate
Programs and majors offered 97
Graduate counts are degrees and certificates awarded in each program between July 2024 and June 2025. Largest fields are listed first.
Retention is for students who started in fall 2023 and returned in fall 2024.
First-year retention, full-time students
63%
First-year retention, part-time students
33%
Student-to-faculty ratio
28:1
Degrees and certificates awarded
Awards conferred between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
Associate degrees
1,644
Certificates under 1 year
669
Certificates of 1 to 2 years
1,048
Certificates of 2 to 4 years
15
Enrollment
Students, fall 2024
12,472
Undergraduates, fall 2024
12,472
Full-time, fall 2024
40%
Students over the full 2024-25 year
18,818
Full-time, 2024-25
31%
Size category
10,000 to 19,999 students
Student body
Share of all students enrolled during 2024-25. Small groups can round to zero and are not listed.
Women
58%
Men
42%
White
19%
Hispanic or Latino
62%
Black or African American
4%
Asian
8%
Two or more races
3%
Race or ethnicity unknown
4%
Online and flexible learning
Distance education in 2024-25.
Programs with a fully online option
15
Online undergraduate programs
Yes
Students studying fully online
33%
Students taking some online courses
51%
Weekend or evening classes
Yes
Campus and services
Setting
Small city
Academic calendar
Semester
Part of
California Community College System
Carnegie classification
Associate's Colleges: High Transfer-High Traditional
Superintendent / President
Chris Vitelli
Services and opportunities
Academic and career counseling, Student employment services, Job placement for graduates, On-campus day care, Accepts AP credit, Credit for life experience
For veterans and service members
Credit for military training, Dedicated veterans contact, Student veteran organization