Top Ranked Programs
University of California-Merced's program mix is anchored in Engineering, with meaningful enrollment across biological sciences, social sciences, and psychology. Engineering accounts for 23% of graduates, Social Sciences represents 14%, and Business makes up 9% — a distribution that reflects the university's research-oriented identity and its emphasis on STEM and quantitative fields. Across 24 programs serving roughly 1,977 students annually, 16 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. The strongest earnings outcomes cluster in engineering and applied-science fields. Azimuth ranks Computer Engineering #28 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 219 graduates earning $102,575. Azimuth ranks Mechanical Engineering #18 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $95,040, and Azimuth ranks Business Administration #113 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $68,277. Computer Engineering combines strong enrollment of 316 graduates with median earnings of $59,249, making it a key driver of the institution's overall earnings profile — Azimuth ranks the program #73 nationally [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). Computer Engineering (219 graduates) and Business Administration (188 graduates) enroll large cohorts but reflect different career trajectories. Computer Engineering is largely a grad-school-dependent pathway where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory, while engineering subfields like Political Science and Biology, General are high-mobility programs where graduates enter the workforce directly and earnings reflect labor-market outcomes. The [supply-demand map](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these fields align with national wage trends. ```