EdSource reported on the University of California's 2030 Capacity Plan to add more than 20,000 students by 2030 – concentrating growth at the Merced and Riverside campuses and expanding online and summer pathways system-wide. The plan was prepared for presentation to the UC Board of Regents alongside recommendations to strengthen the community-college-to-UC transfer pipeline.
UC Merced is projected to add 3,723 students under the plan, bringing total enrollment to roughly 13,000. The system intends to recruit transfer applicants across 14 Central Valley community colleges and expand automatic admission agreements, with new programs concentrated in agricultural technology, health sciences, and education. A one-time pilot was also funded to re-enroll approximately 550 prior students who had left in good academic standing.
Sustained enrollment growth at UC Merced – codified in a system-level capacity plan – is the structural demand backdrop that anchors the New Course Merced Station and Scholars Vista student-housing communities adjacent to campus.
