MERCED–In the latest Wall Street Journal (WSJ) ranking of America’s Best Colleges, UC Merced is named the No. 1 university in the nation for “social mobility” — the term used to describe how well colleges and universities attract, retain, and help students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds complete their degrees and graduate into promising careers.
A perennial Top 5 university in this category, UC Merced is now recognized as the prime example of how a school can provide students, especially those historically underserved, with a chance for better lives and brighter futures.
Overall Rankings
In the overall rankings, UC Merced is named the 18th-best university in the nation—up from the 59th spot last year. The university also climbed 10 spots from last year among public institutions to claim the No. 5 position.
“At UC Merced, we routinely say that we don’t do what we do for rankings, but when you excel others will always take notice,” said Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz. “We hope this recent acknowledgment will be yet another opportunity for people to learn about the exceptional culture of student success that has taken root at UC Merced.”
Year after year, we are delivering on our promise of access, excellence, and opportunity for the students who choose to attend UC Merced.”
What Factors into the Rankings?
When compiling the annual report, the WSJ examines several factors including student outcomes, the learning environment and diversity. This happens in collaboration with research partners College Pulse and Statista. The social mobility rankings also take into consideration the proportion of students coming from lower-income families, graduation rates, impact on graduate salaries and affordability.
Almost 60% of the student body at UC Merced are Pell-eligible and 65% are first-generation. Students in these categories face unique challenges, so providing readily accessible resources is vital to ensure their success. Crucial to this work is making contact prior to them stepping foot on campus. This requires strategic outreach to school districts.
How UC Merced Nourishes Social Mobility
UC Merced’s Center For Educational Partnerships (CEP) was created for this very reason. CEP works with K-12 sites throughout the Central Valley to advance college and career readiness at middle and high schools. Parents also engage in an effort to empower them to clearly understand the college application and financial aid processes.
“The mission of the UC Merced Center for Educational Partnerships is to provide student, school, and parent-centered services that ultimately result in students having the greatest number of postsecondary choices from the widest array of options upon graduation.”
And once they become Bobcats, students continue to receive support services at UC Merced through the Calvin E. Bright Success Center, where a holistic approach is taken to academic success. Connection to the campus and fellow students is stressed to instill a sense of belonging. Regular check-ins are also conducted to measure student progress. The Fiat Lux Scholars Program offers elevated support and includes a living and learning community for first-year students.
Another way UC Merced nourishes upward mobility is by partnering with organizations such as College Track. College Track has a proven success when it comes to student outcomes. Students participating in these multi-year programs are better able to handle the rigors of higher education. This included the academic, financial, social and emotional rigors.
“UC Merced is redefining post-secondary opportunity and excellence,” said Muñoz. “For far too long, lower income students, including those from our region, were told that a UC education was unattainable. But thanks to the tireless work of our faculty and staff, as well as our partners and supporters, that is no longer the case.”
View online: https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2024/uc-merced-ranked-no-1-nation-social-mobility-no-18-overall
