College Azimuth

Programs & majors brief

University of California-Merced Majors & Programs

Updated

Which majors earn the most at University of California-Merced?

The five largest programs at University of California-Merced show a clear split between high-earning engineering fields and more moderate-earning sciences. Computer Engineering leads in earnings at $102,575 four years after completion, with 219 degrees awarded.

Azimuth ranks it #39 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Mechanical Engineering follows at $95,040 from 184 degrees awarded, ranked #54 nationally.

The largest program, Biology, awards 316 degrees and posts a median of $59,249, with an Azimuth national rank of #93. At the more moderate end, Public Health reports $56,393 across 141 degrees awarded, ranked #49 nationally.

The contrast between the engineering programs and the largest science and health programs is the main story in the earnings data.

Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions

Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity.

  • Engineering462 · 23.4%
  • Psychology321 · 16.2%
  • Biological sciences316 · 16.0%
  • Social sciences269 · 13.6%
  • Business188 · 9.5%
  • Other421 · 21.3%

24 of 24 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs
Computer Engineering 219 degrees awarded
$102,575
Mechanical Engineering 184 degrees awarded
$95,040
Biomedical/Medical Engineering 37 degrees awarded
$88,795
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 22 degrees awarded
$83,007
Applied Mathematics 36 degrees awarded
$82,156
Business Administration, Management and Operations 188 degrees awarded
$68,277

Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.

Compare all matching programs
Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks
ProgramDegrees awarded4-yr earningsField rank
Computer Engineering219$102,575#39
Mechanical Engineering184$95,040#54
Biomedical/Medical Engineering37$88,795#72
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering22$83,007#16
Applied Mathematics36$82,156#17
Business Administration, Management and Operations188$68,277#140
Economics24$67,692#171
Political Science and Government116$62,815#105
Biology, General316$59,249#93
English Language and Literature, General31$58,623#63
Chemistry40$56,888#109
Public Health141$56,393#49
Psychology, General134$53,143#131
Cognitive Science72$51,147#16
Sociology112$50,468#109
History small degree count13$44,144—
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies23Too few graduates to report—
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count16Too few graduates to report—
Philosophy small degree count8Too few graduates to report—
Physics small degree count17Too few graduates to report—
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count12Too few graduates to report—
Research and Experimental Psychology187Too few graduates to report—
Anthropology small degree count17Too few graduates to report—
Visual and Performing Arts, General small degree count12Too few graduates to report—

Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings

What are the largest programs at University of California-Merced?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded
Biology, General
316
Computer Engineering
219
Business Administration, Management and Operations
188
Research and Experimental Psychology
187
Mechanical Engineering
184
Public Health
141
Psychology, General
134
Political Science and Government
116
Sociology
112
Cognitive Science
72

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions

How do University of California-Merced majors rank nationally?

National program rankings

  1. Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering#16
  2. Cognitive Science#16
  3. Applied Mathematics#17
  4. Computer Engineering#39
  5. Public Health#49
  6. Mechanical Engineering Included by program size#54
  7. Biology, General Included by program size#93
  8. Political Science and Government Included by program size#105
  9. Psychology, General Included by program size#131
  10. Business Administration, Management and Operations Included by program size#140

Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

How Azimuth compares programs across colleges

Further analysis

A student's outcome at University of California-Merced depends on the program they enter, because Azimuth scores fields on four-year earnings among completers, debt and cohort size rather than reputation. Earnings data covers 16 fields, and 15 of them have an Azimuth national rank.

The degree mix is led by Engineering at 23.4%, with Psychology at 16.2% and Biological Sciences at 16.0%. Biology is the largest program, at 316 degrees a year.

Azimuth ranks it #93 within its field, with median earnings of $59,249 four years after completion. Figures for degrees awarded are counts from one academic year, and program earnings cover federally aided completers.

Computer Engineering graduates report the highest earnings among ranked programs, at $102,575 four years after completion, and Azimuth ranks the program #39 within its field. Mechanical Engineering is next, at $95,040 four years after completion, and Azimuth ranks it #54 within its field.

Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: methodology.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.