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UC Merced

University of California-Merced

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UC Merced Majors Overview: Salary, Courses & Career Outcomes

Every major at UC Merced with graduate salary, course catalog depth, and career preparation data.

#	Major	US Rank	UC Merced Salary	National Median	Premium	Degrees/Year	Courses
1	Engineering	—	$82,800	$72,000	+15%	442	131
Featured Courses: AE 171: Aerospace Structures and Materials AE 173: Aerospace Propulsion AE 175: Aerospace Design BCME 001: Biochemical & Biomolecular Engineering Seminar BCME 135: Biochemistry for Engineers
2	Mathematics & Statistics	—	$71,300	$62,000	+15%	33	83
Featured Courses: BIO 175: Biostatistics COGS 210: Statistics for Cognitive Scientists CSE 015: Discrete Mathematics MATH 005: Preparatory Calculus MATH 005A: Preparatory Calculus Workshop
3	Business	—	$63,249	$55,000	+15%	182	57
Featured Courses: CEE 140: Water Resources Planning and Management CEE 155: Decision Analysis in Management COMM 141: Management Communication Theory and Practice COMM 149: Topics in Business Communication ECON 006A: Financial Accounting I
4	Health Professions	—	$59,799	$52,000	+15%	106	63
Featured Courses: BEST 217: Lab on a Chip: Developing 3rd World Diagnostics for Global Health BIO 060: Nutrition CCST 113: Latino and Immigrant Health COMM 131: Health Communication COMM 132: Health and the Media
5	Physical Sciences	—	$55,199	$48,000	+15%	52	72
Featured Courses: BIO 104: Biophysics BIO 104L: Biophysics Laboratory BIO 134: Ocean Science CHEM 001: Preparatory Chemistry CHEM 100L: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
6	Social Sciences	—	$51,749	$45,000	+15%	233	130
Featured Courses: ANTH 010: Quantitative Methods in Anthropology ANTH 092: Internship in Anthropology ANTH 100: History of Anthropological Thought and Practice ANTH 112: Political Anthropology ANTH 122: Anthropological Perspectives on Religion and Healing
7	Biological Sciences	—	$48,299	$42,000	+15%	307	149
Featured Courses: ANTH 159: Primate Behavior, Biology, and Ecology ANTH 169: Topics in Biological Anthropology BIOE 101: Modeling of Nanoscale Processes in Biology BIOE 106: Cell Biology and Physiology BIOE 110: Self-Assembling Molecular Systems
8	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	—	$48,299	$42,000	+15%	47	19
Featured Courses: IH 201: Theories and Methods in the Study of the Interdisciplinary Humanities IH 201B: Theories and Methods in the Study of the Interdisciplinary Humanities B IH 204A: Research Methods in Interdisciplinary Humanities: Text and Archives IH 204C: Research Methods in Interdisciplinary Humanities: Ethnography and Performance IH 204D: Research Methods in Interdisciplinary Humanities: Community Engaged and Public Humanities
9	History	—	$46,000	$40,000	+15%	14	84
Featured Courses: ANTH 132: Decoding History: The Shifting Lens of Archaeological Interpretation ANTH 172: Ethnohistory BIO 065: Natural History of Dinosaurs COMM 052: History and Practice of Photography CRES 012: World Histories & World Geographies
10	Area/Ethnic/Cultural Studies	—	$43,700	$38,000	+15%	10	21
Featured Courses: CRES 100: Theories of Race and Ethnicity CRES 102: Race, Gender, Sexuality CRES 110: Methods of Race and Ethnicity CRES 119: Topics in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies CRES 123: Comparative Race and Ethnicity in the United States
11	Foreign Languages & Linguistics	—	$43,700	$38,000	+15%	6	43
Featured Courses: CHN 001: Elementary Chinese I CHN 002: Elementary Chinese II CHN 003: Intermediate Chinese I CHN 004: Intermediate Chinese II CHN 092: Internship in Chinese
12	Psychology	—	$41,400	$36,000	+15%	338	59
Featured Courses: ANTH 124: Mind Meets Culture: Exploring the World of Ethnopsychology COMM 104: Writing in the Disciplines: Psychology POLI 123: Political Psychology PSY 010: Analysis of Psychological Data PSY 015: Research Methods in Psychology
13	English Language & Literature	—	$41,400	$36,000	+15%	24	98
Featured Courses: CHEM 270: Academic Writing in Graduate Studies COMM 100: Advanced Writing COMM 101: Science Writing in Natural Sciences COMM 102: Writing for the Social Sciences and Humanities COMM 109: Topics in Professional Writing
14	Visual & Performing Arts	—	$39,100	$34,000	+15%	6	145
Featured Courses: ANTH 174: Lithic Artifact Analysis CHE 111: Kinetics and Reactor Design CHE 130: Plant Design CEE 146: Hydraulic Systems Analysis and Design CEE 162: Modeling and Design of Energy Systems

Career Path Match at UC Merced 🎖️ DeepColleges Exclusive

How many courses at UC Merced align with each career direction. More relevant courses mean better preparation for your target career.

Sociology & Anthropology 69

ANTH 001: Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology ANTH 005: Introduction to Biological Anthropology ANTH 005H: Introduction to Biological Anthropology ANTH 010: Quantitative Methods in Anthropology ANTH 092: Internship in Anthropology

Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering 59

AE 172: Flight Dynamics and Control ANTH 134: Dynamics of Small-scale Societies BIOE 130: Biothermodynamics BIOE 210: Advanced Bio-thermodynamics, Bio-kinetics, and Bio-transport BIO 156: Ecological Dynamics

Pre-Med / Clinical Medicine 55

ANTH 120: Introduction to Medical Anthropology BCME 135: Biochemistry for Engineers BIOE 100: Physiology for Engineers BIOE 106: Cell Biology and Physiology BIOE 124: Introduction to Biomedical Imaging

Biotechnology & Genetics 47

BCME 002: Fundamentals of Molecular Biology BCME 002L: Fundamentals of Molecular Biology Laboratory BCME 145: Bioprocess Engineering BIOE 002: Fundamentals of Molecular Biology BIOE 002L: Fundamentals of Molecular Biology Laboratory

Public Health & Epidemiology 42

BEST 217: Lab on a Chip: Developing 3rd World Diagnostics for Global Health BIO 175: Biostatistics ESS 040: Air Quality, Air Resources and Environmental Health PSY 124: Health Disparities PSY 224: Health Disparities

Film & Video Production 33

BIO 118: Gene Editing Research Lab COMM 154: Film Theory COMM 179: Topics in Media Production CRES 027: Local Harvest, Global Industry: History of the Production and Consumption of Food CRES 052: Power in Film

Data Science & Analytics 29

ANTH 171: Introduction to Data Science for Demography BIO 018: Data Science for Life Sciences BIO 187: Data Science Research in Biology COGS 212: Methods of Data Science 1 COGS 214: Global Good Studio: Data Visualization

Public Policy & Government 25

CRES 174B: Divas and Democracy ECON 120: Economics of the Environment and Public Policy ECON 151: The Economics of Government and Business GASP 174B: Divas and Democracy MIST 131: Data Governance for Analytics Projects

Management Consulting & Strategy 24

CEE 155: Decision Analysis in Management ECON 050: Introduction to Business Analytics and Spreadsheets ECON 116: Organizational Strategy ECON 177: Communication & Leadership ENVE 030: Evaluating Sustainable Spaces: Leadership in Energy, Environment & Design (LEED)

Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Research 24

BIOE 215: Biological Imaging and Spectroscopy BIOE 231: Imaging and Spectroscopy for Interdisciplinary Biophysical Sciences, Biomaterials and Biotechnology CHEM 008: Principles of Organic Chemistry CHEM 008H: Honors Principles of Organic Chemistry CHEM 008L: Principles of Organic Chemistry Lab

Environmental Engineering 23

BIO 113: Sustainability in the Anthropocene BIO 172: Sustainability of Agricultural Ecosystems CEE 020: Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering CEE 105: Environmental Engineering Chemistry CEE 120: Strength and Sustainability of Materials

Neuroscience & Brain Research 22

BIO 170: Neurobiology BIO 170L: Neurobiology Laboratory BIO 171: Neurobiology of Brain Dysfunction and Disorders BIO 177: Genes, Brains, and Behavior COGS 101: Mind, Brain, and Computation

AI / Machine Learning 20

COGS 121: Artificial Intelligence in Cognitive Science COGS 124: Introduction to Neural Networks in Cognitive Science COGS 224: Neural Networks in Cognitive Science CSE 175: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence CSE 176: Introduction to Machine Learning

Software Engineering 20

BIO 184: Python Programming for Life Sciences CSE 022: Introduction to Programming CSE 024: Advanced Programming CSE 030: Data Structures CSE 120: Software Engineering

Psychology Research (Non-Clinical) 18

ANTH 114: Social Memory COGS 140: Perception and Action COGS 171: Memory and Cognition PSY 130: Developmental Psychology PSY 139A: Topics in Developmental Psychology

Economics & Economic Research 18

ECON 110: Econometrics ECON 111A: American Economic History ECON 111B: Economic History of Business and Finance ECON 115: Economics of Industrial Organization ECON 140: Labor Economics

Chemical & Materials Engineering 17

BCME 145: Bioprocess Engineering BIOE 145: Bioprocess Engineering CHE 118: Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanoscience CHE 128: Electronic Materials and Semiconductor Device Fabrication CHE 195: Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Research

Electrical & Hardware Engineering 17

BIOE 065: Biocircuits Theory CSE 157: Signal Processing for Internet of Things EE 001: Electrical Engineering Introduction EE 005: Designing and Building Electrical Engineering Systems EE 021: Introduction to Electrical Engineering Programming

Music Industry & Production 17

CHE 141: Materials Processing & Performance I: Materials Thermodynamics and Kinetics COMM 017: Introduction to Media and Performance Studies EECS 288: Advanced Topics in High Performance Computing ENG 012: Introduction to Drama, Theatre, and Performance FRE 103: French Composition and Conversation

Physics & Astrophysics 17

MBSE 245: Condensed Matter Physics ME 260: Non-Imaging Optics PHYS 121: Cosmology PHYS 126: Special Relativity Minicourse PHYS 128: Introduction to General Relativity

Climate & Earth Science 16

CEE 118: Climate Change: Science and Solutions CEE 130: Meteorology and Air Pollution CEE 152: Remote Sensing of the Environment ESS 001: Introduction to Earth Systems Science ESS 005: Introduction to Biological Earth Systems

Entrepreneurship & Startups 15

ECON 126: Economics of Innovation and Entrepreneurship ECON 126H: Economics of Innovation and Entrepreneurship ECON 174: Venture Capital and Entrepreneurial Finance ENGR 108: BioEntrepreneurship ENGR 158: Service Innovation

Mathematics & Pure Research 13

MATH 024: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations MATH 101: Real Analysis MATH 101H: Real Analysis MATH 125: Intermediate Differential Equations MATH 126: Partial Differential Equations

Biomedical Engineering 12

BIOE 045: Introduction to Biomaterials BIOE 102: Biosensors BIOE 113: Bioinstrumentation BIOE 115: Biomechanics BIOE 124: Introduction to Biomedical Imaging

Mental Health & Clinical Psychology 12

ES 268: Life Cycle Assessment ESS 040: Air Quality, Air Resources and Environmental Health IH 203: Pedagogy in the Interdisciplinary Humanities: Theories, Methods, Practice and Assessment NSED 100: Project Based Instruction: Assessment and Management for Beginning Teachers POLI 293: Critical Assessment of Political Science Research

Education & Teaching 12

BIO 173: Teaching for Learning: Instructional Learning Assistant Pedagogy Course CHEM 173: Teaching for Learning: Instructional Learning Assistant Pedagogy Course ES 268: Life Cycle Assessment IH 203: Pedagogy in the Interdisciplinary Humanities: Theories, Methods, Practice and Assessment IH 294: Individualized Study in Pedagogy

Linguistics & Translation 12

ANTH 132: Decoding History: The Shifting Lens of Archaeological Interpretation COGS 005: Introduction to Language and Linguistics COGS 155: Language Acquisition COMM 169: Topics in Linguistics ESS 150: Geomorphology and Surface Processes

Accounting & Audit 10

ECON 006A: Financial Accounting I ECON 006B: Financial Accounting II ECON 007: Managerial Accounting ECON 132: Tax Accounting ECON 133: Tax Auditing and Assurance Services

Bioinformatics & Computational Biology 9

BIO 182: Bioinformatics ESS 126: Environmental Genomics ES 226: Environmental Genomics QSB 282: Bioinformatics QSB 289: Research Forums in Quantitative and Systems Biology

International Relations & Diplomacy 9

CRES 121: Refugees and Human Rights ECON 269: Topics in International Trade ENG 132: Human Rights and Literature PHIL 128: Human Rights POLI 003: Introduction to Comparative Politics

Journalism & Media 9

COMM 159: Topics in Media Studies GASP 189B: Topics in Media Studies GASP 190: Theories of Expressive Culture HIST 134: History and Literature of the Great Depression IH 213: Readings in the Interdisciplinary Humanities: Expressive Culture - Visual and Material

Quantum Computing 8

PHYS 137: Quantum Mechanics Core PHYS 138: Quantum Mechanics II Core PHYS 172: Quantum Information Science PHYS 174: Advanced Quantum Computing PHYS 237: Quantum Mechanics I

Aerospace Engineering 8

AE 171: Aerospace Structures and Materials AE 172: Flight Dynamics and Control AE 173: Aerospace Propulsion AE 175: Aerospace Design EE 135: Aerospace Power Electronics and Systems

Nonprofit & Social Impact 7

ECON 142: The Economics of Gender and Poverty ENG 187: Shakespeare and Social Justice MED 011: Introduction to Medical Learning: Ethics and Social Justice in Health POLI 138: Politics of Poverty and Prosperity PH 209A: Grant Writing for Public Health I

Space Industry & NewSpace 7

BIO 047: Astrobiology CEE 152: Remote Sensing of the Environment ESS 047: Astrobiology EECS 223: Remote Sensing of the Environment ES 252: Remote Sensing of the Environment

Game Development & Design 6

CSE 171: Game Programming ECON 170: Game Theory EECS 287: Computer Animation and Simulation POLI 109: Legislative Simulation POLI 215: Introduction to Game Theory

Robotics & Autonomous Systems 6

CSE 180: Introduction to Robotics EE 122: Introduction to Control Systems ME 141: Introduction to Control Systems ME 142: Mechatronics ME 143: Introduction to Drones

Investment Banking & Finance 6

ECON 105: Corporate Finance ECON 121: The Economics of Money, Banking, and Financial Institutions ECON 121H: The Economics of Money, Banking, and Financial Institutions ECON 163A: Economics of Investments: Stocks and Bonds ECON 163B: Economics of Investments: Options and Derivatives

Food Science & AgTech 6

BIO 060: Nutrition ESS 170: Fundamentals of Soil Science ESS 170L: Soil Science Laboratory ES 201: Environmental Soil Science ES 201L: Environmental Soil Science Lab

UX / Product Design 5

CSE 126: Information Systems and Service Design CSE 155: Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction EECS 255: Advanced Human-computer Interaction EECS 256: Topics in Human-Computer Interaction MGMT 126: Information Systems and Service Design

Cloud Computing & DevOps 5

CSE 179: Introduction to Parallel Computing EECS 245: Parallel Computing EECS 263: Cloud Computing EECS 266: Advanced Distributed Systems EECS 280: Advanced Topics in Computer Networks and Distributed Systems

Pre-Law / Legal Studies 5

CRES 120: Race, Law and Civil Rights ENGR 192: Intellectual Property for Engineers and Scientists ENGR 292: Intellectual Property for Engineers and Scientists HIST 170R: Law and Society in Early Modern England: Research SOC 107: Law and Society

Clean Energy & Sustainability Engineering 4

EE 160: Electric Power Systems EECS 231: Energy Storage MBSE 261: Energy Storage ME 261: Energy Storage

Actuarial Science & Insurance 4

MIST 208: Law, Policy, and Risk Management MATH 032: Probability and Statistics MATH 181: Stochastic Processes PH 130: Does the Dose Make the Poison? Introduction to Toxicology and Risk Assessment

Pharmacy & Drug Development 4

ES 269: Environmental Toxicology PSY 185: Drugs of Abuse: Psychopharmacology I PSY 186: Therapeutic Drugs: Psychopharmacology II PH 130: Does the Dose Make the Poison? Introduction to Toxicology and Risk Assessment

Architecture & Spatial Design 4

COGS 214: Global Good Studio: Data Visualization CSE 141: Introduction to Compiler Construction EECS 254: Compiler Construction GASP 036B: Recording and Studio Techniques

Civil Engineering & Infrastructure 3

CEE 010: Surveying and Geomatics Fundamentals, Equipment, Methods, and Applications CEE 146: Hydraulic Systems Analysis and Design CEE 185: Design of Reinforced Concrete Structural Systems

AR / VR / Spatial Computing 2

CSE 170: Computer Graphics HS 110: 3D Modeling Cultural Heritage

Digital Health & Telemedicine 2

BIOE 124: Introduction to Biomedical Imaging BIOE 260: Advanced Biomedical Imaging

ESG & Impact Investing 2

ENG 169: Theatre and Social Responsibility GASP 153: Theater and Social Responsibility

Cybersecurity 1

CSE 130: Introduction to Cryptography

Marketing & Brand Strategy 1

ECON 108: Marketing and Consumer Behavior

Real Estate & Development 1

ECON 178: Real Estate Economics

Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation 1

BIOE 115: Biomechanics

Graphic & Visual Design 1

GEOG 152: Cartographic Design

Sports Analytics & Management 1

ECON 149: Economics of Sports Management

Highest & Lowest ROI Majors at UC Merced

Highest-Earning Majors

Engineering

$82,800/yr

Mathematics & Statistics

$71,300/yr

Business

$63,249/yr

Lowest-Earning Majors

Visual & Performing Arts

$39,100/yr

English Language & Literature

$41,400/yr

Psychology

$41,400/yr

Popular Majors at UC Merced

The most popular fields of study, ranked by the number of degrees awarded.

Engineering

23.6%

Psychology

19.4%

Biological Sciences

16.3%

Social Sciences

13.0%

Business/Marketing

10.0%

Best Majors at UC Merced →

UC Merced Majors FAQs

What are the most popular majors at UC Merced?

UC Merced's most popular majors by share of degrees awarded are: Engineering (23.6%), Psychology (19.4%), Biological Sciences (16.3%). The full ranking by graduate salary is in the table above.

Which major at UC Merced pays the most?

The highest-earning major at UC Merced is Engineering, with a median 4-year-out salary of $82,800 — well above the school-wide median of $64,368.

Are some majors at UC Merced harder to get into than others?

Yes. UC Merced's overall acceptance rate is 39.2%, but selective programs (computer science, business, engineering, nursing) often admit at lower rates than the school-wide average. Check program-specific admission stats where available.

Should I pick my major based on salary at UC Merced?

Salary should be one factor, not the only one. Major choice impacts earnings (engineering and CS typically lead) but career fit, course interest, and graduation-rate within the major also matter. The salary table above shows the median pay by program at UC Merced.