Samuel Merritt University (SMU) has been pioneering new academic programs and educating health science practitioners for 100 years. The University’s mission is to educate students to become highly skilled and compassionate healthcare professionals who positively transform the experience of care in diverse communities.

Proudly affiliated with Alta Bates Summit, the University traces its roots to 1909 as a school of nursing named for the visionary Oakland physician Samuel Merritt. In July 2002, SMC bolstered its reputation as one of the premier health sciences institutes in the nation when the California College of Podiatric Medicine (CCPM), one of only seven podiatry schools in the United States, merged with Samuel Merritt and became known as the California School of Podiatric Medicine (CSPM) at SMU.

SMU confers doctoral degrees in podiatric medicine and physical therapy; and master’s degrees in occupational therapy, nursing, and physician assisting. The Bachelor of Science degree in nursing is awarded both independently and in conjunction with Saint Mary's College of California, Holy Names University, and Mills College. SMU is the largest source of registered nurses in California and the only provider of physical and occupational therapists, physician assistants, and podiatric physicians in the East Bay. SMU graduates are aggressively recruited, enjoy high new graduate employment rates, and routinely notch scores above national rates on licensing and certification exams.

SMU operates campuses in Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Mateo. SMU's Oakland campus, with its state-of-the-art labs and classrooms, and the East Bay's largest health sciences library, offers an exceptional learning environment. The Sacramento and San Mateo Learning Centers focus solely on exceptional graduate nursing education and provide an opportunity for service to those regions. The San Francisco campus provides a rich array of learning experiences for students enrolled in the nursing and the podiatric medicine programs. The University is fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and numerous specialized accreditation agencies.

SMU strives to reflect the community it serves by recruiting students with a variety of ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. The current student enrollment is over 1,400 and will grow by an additional 400 students by the year 2015.