CA
University of California-Merced
6.92 incidents / 1,000 students
Merced, CA · Clery Act 2024 · Public
University of California-Merced
Across 2022–2024, University of California-Merced reported 106 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, and the yearly count rose over that span (largest filed category: Motor Vehicle Theft). Nearby same-state same-level comparison: Shasta College.
- 6.92
- Incidents / 1k students
- #1,789
- Rank of 2,072
- #286
- CA rank
- 9,110
- Enrolled students
6.92 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
University of California-Merced reports 6.92 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 192% above John C Calhoun State Community College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: John C Calhoun State Community College (0.00/1k); Forsyth Technical Community College (2.53/1k); South Plains College (0.00/1k); Princeton University (8.21/1k); Shasta College (1.10/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes Shasta College (1.10/1k); Pepperdine University (2.23/1k); West Los Angeles College (0.22/1k); Solano Community College (0.22/1k); University of San Francisco (3.48/1k); Skyline College (0.21/1k); University of San Diego (5.66/1k); California State University-Stanislaus (2.06/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Motor Vehicle Theft.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 6.92
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #1,789
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 86%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 48
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 445188 · University of California-Merced 6.92/1k score rate · #1,789/2,072
RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-ZERO
- RATE-HOT 6.92/1k
- RANK-BOTTOM #1,789/2,072
- ST-MID #286 in state
- BELOW-PEER Princeton University · 1.29 back
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-UP ↑ 100%
- CAT-LEAD Motor Vehicle Th…
- ENR-MID 9,110
- FIRE-ZERO 0 fires filed
Nearest enrollment peer: Princeton University (+1.29/1k)
University of California-Merced sheet RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-ZERO · peer Princeton University. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-ZERO. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is Princeton University (+1.29/1k). National rank #1,789 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
University of California-Merced reports 6.92 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 192% above John C Calhoun State Community College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: John C Calhoun State Community College (0.00/1k); Forsyth Technical Community College (2.53/1k); South Plains College (0.00/1k); Princeton University (8.21/1k); Shasta College (1.10/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes Shasta College (1.10/1k); Pepperdine University (2.23/1k); West Los Angeles College (0.22/1k); Solano Community College (0.22/1k); University of San Francisco (3.48/1k); Skyline College (0.21/1k); University of San Diego (5.66/1k); California State University-Stanislaus (2.06/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Motor Vehicle Theft.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around University of California-Merced
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest University on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- John C Calhoun State · lowest peer 0
John C Calhoun State Community College — lowest peer
0 per 1,000 students
- Shasta College · near 1.1
Shasta College — near
1.1 per 1,000 students
- Forsyth Technical Community College · near 2.53
Forsyth Technical Community College — near
2.53 per 1,000 students
- University of California-Merced · this campus
University of California-Merced — this campus
6.92 per 1,000 students
- Princeton University · highest peer
Princeton University — highest peer
8.21 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around University of California-Merced's 6.92/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
University of California-Merced increased from 34 to 48 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 37 CA 4-year peers in this comparison, University of California-Merced is larger than 61% and safer-reporting than 6% - the larger, higher-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 61
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 56, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 44
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 64, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 81
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 53, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 31
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 69, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 86
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 72, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 78, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 28
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 81, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 36
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 11
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 86, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 69
- Point 13: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 14: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 47, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 15: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 44, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 47
- Point 16: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 89, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 17: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 39
- Point 18: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Point 19: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 39, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 3
- Point 20: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 94, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 21: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 36, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 22: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 23: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 31, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 19
- Point 24: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 28, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 56
- Point 25: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 26: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 22, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 53
- Point 27: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 97, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 78
- Point 28: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 19, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 22
- Point 29: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
- Point 30: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 72
- Point 31: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 14, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 32: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 11, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 33: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 8, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 34: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 14
- Point 35: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 3, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 36: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 64
- University of California-M…: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 6
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concordia University-Irvine | 3,658 | 1.09 | 0 | 64 |
| Western University of Health Sciences | 3,665 | 3.00 | 3 | 33 |
| Loma Linda University | 4,210 | 5.94 | 6 | 14 |
| University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences | 4,370 | 0.92 | 8 | 67 |
| Alliant International University-San Diego | 4,530 | 0.00 | 11 | 92 |
| West Coast University-Orange County | 4,586 | 0.00 | 14 | 92 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | 4,757 | 1.89 | 17 | 58 |
| University of La Verne | 5,021 | 4.58 | 19 | 22 |
| Biola University | 5,434 | 2.02 | 22 | 53 |
| Los Angeles Film School | 5,472 | 0.00 | 25 | 92 |
| Academy of Art University | 5,498 | 2.00 | 28 | 56 |
| University of California-Merced (this campus) | 9,110 | 6.92 | 61 | 6 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at University of California-Merced rose from 34 to 48 (+41%). The increase shows up in Motor Vehicle Theft (8 to 30), Aggravated Assault (0 to 4) and Burglary (2 to 5). Falling over the same period: Arson (13 to 0), Rape (9 to 6) and Statutory Rape (2 to 0).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at University of California-Merced
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 7 Clery Act categories here: Motor Vehicle Theft, Rape, Burglary, Arson, Fondling, Aggravated Assault and Statutory Rape.
The remaining 4 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, Incest, Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Negligent Manslaughter and Robbery. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyUniversity of California-Merced: Criminal Offenses by year
Rising 100% (24 → 48 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 24 |
| 2023 | 34 |
| 2024 | 48 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 30 | 8 | 2 |
| Rape | 6 | 9 | 3 |
| Burglary | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| Arson | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Fondling | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Aggravated Assault | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
9 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 1 | 52 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 2 | 108 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 1 | 149 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 1 | 1 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 65 |
| Liquor | 2022 | 3 | 100 |
| Weapons | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
University of California-Merced vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
AL
John C Calhoun State Community College
0.00 incidents / 1,000 students
NC
Forsyth Technical Community College
2.53 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where University of California-Merced sits on price and outcomes
At $11,983, University of California-Merced's reported average net price is cheaper than 26% among 492 California colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $20,161.
- $11,983
- average net price
- $20,161
- California median
- 3.0×
- six-year earnings to median debt
- $20,789
- reported income-bracket spread
Aid here is steeply income-scaled. Families reporting under $30,000 of income record a net price of $7,945, while those above $110,000 record $28,734 - roughly 3.6 times as much. A published average of $11,983 therefore describes very few families well; the bracket nearest your own income is the more useful figure.
Six years after enrolling, the median former student who received federal aid reports $48,475 - about 4.0 times one year of the reported net price here. On that ratio the cost is recovered quickly.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $15,623
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $49,823
- Avg Net Price
- $11,983
- Median Debt
- $16,144
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 59%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 91%
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 69%
- Retention Rate
- 82%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $48,475
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $64,368
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 74%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 831 similar institutions by enrollment size.
John C Calhoun State Community College
Tanner, AL · 9,119 enrolled
Safety Score 0.00
Forsyth Technical Community College
Winston-Salem, NC · 9,099 enrolled
Safety Score 2.53
South Plains College
Levelland, TX · 9,098 enrolled
Safety Score 0.00
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · 9,137 enrolled
Safety Score 8.21
Shasta College
Redding, CA · 9,073 enrolled
Safety Score 1.10
Closest by National Rank
University of California-Merced (national rank #1789) sits near Bowdoin College (#1788) and North Carolina A & T State University (#1790) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
National Rank #1788
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC
National Rank #1790
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX
National Rank #1787
University of Minnesota-Rochester
Rochester, MN
National Rank #1791
Assumption University
Worcester, MA
National Rank #1786
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for University of California-Merced, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · 9,137 enrolled
Safety score 8.21
Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus
Indiana, PA · 9,073 enrolled
Safety score 3.20
Northwest Missouri State University
Maryville, MO · 9,152 enrolled
Safety score 1.97
The New School
New York, NY · 9,068 enrolled
Safety score 0.99
Purdue University Northwest
Hammond, IN · 9,051 enrolled
Safety score 0.44
West Texas A & M University
Canyon, TX · 9,045 enrolled
Safety score 5.75
Mercer University
Macon, GA · 9,196 enrolled
Safety score 5.44
Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FL · 8,992 enrolled
Safety score 2.89
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC · 14,311 enrolled
Safety score 6.92
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME · 1,881 enrolled
Safety score 6.91
University of Minnesota-Rochester
Rochester, MN · 578 enrolled
Safety score 6.92
Westminster University
Salt Lake City, UT · 1,155 enrolled
Safety score 6.93
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX · 12,938 enrolled
Safety score 6.88
Davidson College
Davidson, NC · 1,869 enrolled
Safety score 6.96
Assumption University
Worcester, MA · 2,037 enrolled
Safety score 6.87
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL · 33,906 enrolled
Safety score 6.87
Frequently Asked Questions
Is University of California-Merced safe?
University of California-Merced has a safety score of 6.92 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #1,789 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: John C Calhoun State Community College (0.00/1k). Same-state same-level set: Shasta College (1.10/1k); Pepperdine University (2.23/1k); West Los Angeles College (0.22/1k); Solano Community College (0.22/1k); University of San Francisco (3.48/1k); Skyline College (0.21/1k); University of San Diego (5.66/1k); California State University-Stanislaus (2.06/1k).
What crimes are reported at University of California-Merced?
For calendar year 2024, University of California-Merced reported Motor Vehicle Theft (30), Rape (6), Burglary (5), Aggravated Assault (4) and Fondling (3) in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does University of California-Merced compare to similar schools?
University of California-Merced reports 192% more 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than John C Calhoun State Community College. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: John C Calhoun State Community College (0.00/1k); Forsyth Technical Community College (2.53/1k); South Plains College (0.00/1k); Princeton University (8.21/1k); Shasta College (1.10/1k). Same-state same-level set: Shasta College (1.10/1k); Pepperdine University (2.23/1k); West Los Angeles College (0.22/1k); Solano Community College (0.22/1k); University of San Francisco (3.48/1k); Skyline College (0.21/1k); University of San Diego (5.66/1k); California State University-Stanislaus (2.06/1k).
Does University of California-Merced have fire safety data?
Yes. University of California-Merced reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. No fires were reported in the most recent year.
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.