UC Merced Housing Costs

$5,011 Other Living Expenses Typical Cost

What Are the Living Expenses at UC Merced?

Make the best college choice by understanding the true cost of college. Start by understanding the yearly costs at University of California-Merced.

On this page you will find:

Outline of Housing Costs
Room & Board Trends and Total Expenses
Meal Plans and Housing Requirements
References

Room and Board Expenses at UC Merced

This school offers students a combined housing and dining plan. The cost of living on campus for a standard student was about $21,445 in 2026. When you add it all up, a student living on campus at University of California-Merced budgeted around $33,354 in 2026 across housing, dining, books and other living expenses.

The following table outlines average expected costs for both on-campus and off-campus housing, meals and other expenses at University of California-Merced.

Expense	On Campus	Off Campus
Room and Board	$27,297	$20,389
— Housing	$21,445
— Meals	$5,852
Other Living Expenses	$5,011	$5,593
Books and Supplies	$1,046	$1,046
Total	$33,354	$27,028

The Projected Cost of Living On Campus? Projected Four-Year Total: $148,909

The price of living on campus is rarely the same in your senior year as it was your first. Projecting the trend helps you plan for all four years instead of only the first.

Over the course of obtaining your degree, expect on-campus living costs near $148,909 in housing, food and other expenses.

Here is how combined on-campus room and board has moved over the last few reported years, with a projection of where it is headed, at University of California-Merced.

Year	Room & Board
Three Years Ago	$23,504
Two Years Ago	$24,022
One Year Ago	$25,304
Most Recent Year (2026)	$27,297
One Year From Now *	$28,765
Two Years From Now *	$30,312
Three Years From Now *	$31,943
Four Years From Now *	$33,661

* estimated

Most recently, on-campus costs increased an average of 5.4% each year. Based on current trends, incoming freshmen can expect to pay about $34,822 in their first year.

At this pace, a senior would spend approximately $39,718 for a bachelor’s degree, while a two-year (associate) student would pay around $36,369 in their second and final year.

Over the entire degree (assuming you graduate on time), the total comes to about $148,909 for a bachelor’s, while two years would run about $71,191 over a two-year associate program.