The forming of UC Merced was initiated to address population growth of the San Joaquin Valley, and to make higher education more accessible.

The search quickly was narrowed to California's Central Valley, which was the state's largest and most populous region without its own UC campus.

[21] Soon over 100 offers from across the state were submitted to try and bring the new campus to their community including Fresno,[22] Los Banos,[23] Madera,[24] Manteca,[25] Merced,[26] Redding,[27] Turlock,[28] and Tuolumne County.

[29] In 1992 the UC board of regents selected three finalist for the new campus Fresno, Madera, and Merced;[30][31] but officials delayed any movement forward until early 1993 due to budget concerns.

[33] Another delay on the site selection occurred when environmental impact reports for Madera and Merced had to be reevaluated to address concerns raised by that they had been done incorrectly.

[24][35] Lake Yosemite is situated very close to the general campus area, and would provide a unique scenic backdrop for the university.

[36] An important hurdle to the construction of UC Merced was removed with the passage of Proposition 203 (Public Education Facilities Bond Act) in March 1996.

[33] In 1999 the UC Regents selected Carol Tomlinson-Keasey as the first chancellor of the university where she became an effective lobbyists for additional state funding.

[33][38] As part of the package for the Merced site the Virginia Smith Estate provided 7,098 acres (2,872 ha) of land for the new campus.

[23][39] The university originally planned to conserve 5,030 acres (2,040 ha) to protect sensitive vernal pool habitats[40][33] but later expanded it to 6,428 acres (2,601 ha) with the creation of the Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve which is now part of the University of California Natural Reserve System.

[66] Later that year the University of California started the push to expand the campus capacity to 10,000 students[67] and double its square footage as part of Project 2020.

[68] The expansion would be the largest growth in both buildings and students on campus to date, and includes dorms, offices, classrooms and recreation areas.

[68][69][70] On November 4, 2015, 18-year-old student Faisal Mohammad stabbed and injured four people with a hunting knife before being shot to death by a campus police officer.

[71][72] In November 2015, the Regents of the University of California approved a $1.14 billion proposal, known as the 2020 Plan, to double the capacity of UC Merced, boosting its enrollment by nearly 4,000 students.

It is specifically focused on preparing and training students to become future doctors who will serve the underserved communities in the Central Valley of California.

The current president of the University of California is Michael Drake, and the administrative head of UC Merced is Juan Sánchez Muñoz.

[84] Park remained acting chancellor until Sung-Mo (Steve) Kang, Dean of the Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz, took office in early March 2007.

[85] UC Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Nathan Brostrom served as interim chancellor until July 2020.

[103] The university is also home to the CCBM Summer Internship Program, an undergraduate research fellowship for non-UC Merced students sponsored by the NSF CREST Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines.

[citation needed] Research in fields like language acquisition and cultural issues is facilitated by the highly diverse ethnic makeup of the Central Valley.

Students in the undergraduate portion of their education can choose from specialized tracks that align with their academic interests and career goals that include four main areas: biological sciences, bioengineering, chemistry, or public health.

[106] The program's curriculum is structured to provide a solid foundation for both undergraduate studies and future professional education in medicine at the medical school.

For students entering the medical school portion of their education, the curriculum is designed to build on their undergraduate studies while offering specialized training to address the unique healthcare challenges of the Central Valley of California.

[14] These courses address the unique healthcare needs of the Central Valley's residents, including agricultural workers, immigrant populations, and low-income families.

[124] The SJV Prime program is an initiative designed for students from the San Joaquin Valley, separate from the regular UC Merced application.

[125] Admission to the program is requires candidates to demonstrate exceptional academic performance, a strong record of extracurricular involvement, and a clear commitment to pursuing advanced education.

[125] Finally, applicants must submit an additional personal statement or essay outlining their academic goals, career aspirations, and reasons for applying to the SJV Prime Program.

The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) since the 2011–12 academic year.

[146] Approximately 2,100 students currently live on campus in the Valley and Sierra Terraces and the Summits, which includes Tenaya and Cathedral Halls, 4.2 miles (6.8 km) away from the city of Merced.

The system has several routes serving off-campus housing developments and locations in central Merced, about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) from campus.