Is UC Merced a good company to work for?

UC Merced has an overall rating of 4.0 out of 5, based on over 704 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 79% of employees would recommend working at UC Merced to a friend and 50% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about UC Merced have been left by employees working as Undergraduate Research Assistant , Student Assistant and Graduate Student Researcher .

Does UC Merced pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, UC Merced employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at UC Merced. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at UC Merced?

79% of UC Merced employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated UC Merced 3.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 3.5 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at UC Merced?

Teaching Assistant (26) , Student Assistant (20) , Graduate Teaching Assistant (18) , Graduate Research Assistant (17) , Research Assistant (15) , Graduate Student (12) , Postdoctoral Fellow (12) , Undergraduate Research Assistant (12) , Graduate Student Researcher (10) , Lecturer (9) , Learning Assistant (7) , Student Technology Consultant (7) , Student Worker (7) , Administrative Assistant (6) , Postdoctoral Researcher (6)

What are the pros of working at UC Merced according to real employee reviews?

"Friendly people at a growing campus" ((in 33 reviews)); "Great benefits, set schedules and no overtime." ((in 24 reviews)); "nice campus" ((in 15 reviews)); "Great work environment and wonderful growth support" ((in 15 reviews)); "This is a very young campus with many opportunities to build programs and policies from ground up." ((in 13 reviews))

What are the cons of working at UC Merced according to real employee reviews?

"DO not promote internal and low pay." ((in 24 reviews)); "Lack of established priorities and Leadership" ((in 7 reviews)); "Scheduling and upper management not understanding needs of team" ((in 5 reviews)); "Lack of communication, Mainly virtual" ((in 5 reviews))

What are employees saying about UC Merced layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about UC Merced layoffs and their outlook for job security at UC Merced in 2026.

What are the top reviewed UC Merced locations?

Merced , Houston , Atwater , Burbank , Los Angeles , Modesto , Patterson , Riverside , San Diego , Discovery Bay , San Jose , Tracy , Boulder , University Place , Calif City

UC Merced reviews

4.0

79% would recommend to a friend

(649 total reviews)

Dorothy Leland

75% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.3

Diversity & inclusion

3.9

Work/Life balance

3.8

Culture & values

3.5

Compensation and benefits

3.5

Career opportunities

3.4

Senior management

UC Merced has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 649 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The UC Merced employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

649 reviews

3.0

Apr 23, 2015

The little engine that could if it just would

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This organization is experiencing growth and is committed to establishing itself within the systems history of excellence. There is a lot of freedom to develop new ideas.

Cons

The pay structure, on -boarding process, and communication structures are heinous and often unprofessional. Subordinates make more than their more experienced supervisors and there is no clear chain of command in many areas.

4.0

Dec 8, 2014

Good experience and benefits, but lower pay.

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, and good opportunities to gain experience with lab management at this campus. Because UC Merced has an undergraduate population of students, there are a lot of opportunities to train and teach students in the lab.

Cons

I was hired for a position I was over-qualified for (Research Assistant), and executing job functions that were not congruent with the title that I was hired under. Due to the academic funding climate, I did get raises, but they were not substantial. Although I got some good experience under my belt, it was not practical to stay for more than a few years, since there are better paying jobs for doing similar things.

1.0

Feb 28, 2021

Poor Leadership

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Opportunity to work with underserved populations

Cons

Leadership does not take their obligation to lead seriously

Viewing 4 - 6 of 649 Reviews

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Jobs at UC Merced

Postdoctoral Scholar Positions in Phase-Change Heat Transfer in Mechanical Engineering (Multiple Hire Recruitment)

Learning Assistant/Remedial Tutor/Tutor in Computer Science and Engineering: Academic Year 2026-2027 (Anticipated)

Learning Assistant/Remedial Tutor/Tutor in the School of Engineering: Academic Year 2026-2027 (Anticipated)

Grant Writer (Academic Coordinator II)

Learning Assistant/Remedial Tutor/Tutor in Chemical and Materials Engineering: Academic Year 2026-2027 (Anticipated)

UC Merced

UC Merced reviews

Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

The little engine that could if it just would

Good experience and benefits, but lower pay.

Poor Leadership

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