<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 02/28/95
000 B000000
000 C000000 877461
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 VAN KAMPEN MERRITT CALIFORNIA QUALITY MUNICIP
001 B000000 811-6361
001 C000000 7086846000
002 A000000 ONE PARKVIEW PLAZA
002 B000000 OAKBROOK TERRACE
002 C000000 IL
002 D010000 60181
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 VAN KAMPEN AMERICAN CAPITAL INVESTMENT ADVISO
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-18161
008 D010001 OAKBROOK TERRACE
008 D020001 IL
008 D030001 60181
010 A000001 VAN KAMPEN AMERICAN CAPITAL DISTRIBUTORS,INC.
010 B000001 8-19412
010 C010001 OAKBROOK TERRACE
010 C020001 IL
010 C030001 60181
011 A000001 VAN KAMPEN AMERICAN CAPITAL DISTRIBUTORS,INC.
011 B000001 8-19412
011 C010001 OAKBROOK TERRACE
011 C020001 IL
011 C030001 60181
012 A000001 STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
012 B000001 85-5003
<PAGE> PAGE 2
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02105
013 A000001 KPMG PEAT MARWICK LLP
013 B010001 CHICAGO
013 B020001 IL
013 B030001 60601
015 A000001 STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 BOSTON
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02105
015 E010001 X
015 A000002 BANKERS TRUST
015 B000002 S
015 C010002 NEW YORK
015 C020002 NY
015 C030002 10015
015 E010002 X
015 A000003 CHEMICAL BANK
015 B000003 S
015 C010003 NEW YORK
015 C020003 NY
015 C030003 10172
015 E010003 X
015 A000004 THE BANK OF NEW YORK
015 B000004 S
015 C010004 NEW YORK
015 C020004 NY
015 C030004 01286
015 E010004 X
015 A000005 MORGAN GUARANTY TRUST CO
015 B000005 S
015 C010005 NEW YORK
015 C020005 NY
015 C030005 10015
015 E010005 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 59
019 C000000 VANKAMPENM
020 C000001 0
020 C000002 0
020 C000003 0
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
021 000000 0
022 A000001 KIDDER PEABODY
022 B000001 13-5650440
022 C000001 8500
022 D000001 8500
022 A000002 MERRILL LYNCH
022 B000002 13-5674085
022 C000002 3365
022 D000002 3061
022 A000003 PAINE WEBBER
022 B000003 13-2638166
022 C000003 3978
022 D000003 2000
022 A000004 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000004 13-2518466
022 C000004 2500
022 D000004 3050
022 A000005 GRIGSBY BRANFORD
022 B000005 94-2856938
022 C000005 2680
022 D000005 0
022 A000006 J.C. BRADFORD
022 B000006 62-0136910
022 C000006 1793
022 D000006 829
022 A000007 PRAGER & CO.
022 B000007 94-3063570
022 C000007 1610
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 GEORGE K. BAUM
022 B000008 44-0522232
022 C000008 0
022 D000008 1390
022 A000009 DONALDSON LUFKIN JENNRETTE
022 B000009 13-2741729
022 C000009 1112
022 D000009 0
022 A000010 CHILTON & O'CONNOR
022 B000010 95-4025174
022 C000010 1001
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 30623
023 D000000 21761
024 000000 N
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 N
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 4
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027 000000 N
029 000000 N
034 000000 N
036 A000000 N
036 B000000 0
037 000000 N
039 000000 N
040 000000 N
041 000000 N
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 N
054 C000000 N
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 Y
054 H000000 N
054 I000000 Y
054 J000000 N
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 N
054 M000000 N
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 N
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 Y
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 1500
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
<PAGE> PAGE 5
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 100.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 21.2
064 A000000 Y
064 B000000 N
065 000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 N
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 N
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 N
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 N
070 L020000 N
070 M010000 N
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 6
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 17323
071 B000000 17759
071 C000000 213795
071 D000000 8
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 7330
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 752
072 G000000 215
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 20
072 J000000 34
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 9
072 M000000 11
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 18
072 S000000 12
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 3
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 111
072 X000000 1185
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 6145
072AA000000 0
072BB000000 728
072CC010000 344
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 5052
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 21
073 A010000 0.5250
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0020
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 1276
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 0
074 D000000 225208
074 E000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 7
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 550
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 3198
074 M000000 10
074 N000000 230242
074 O000000 4292
074 P000000 0
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 631
074 S000000 75000
074 T000000 150319
074 U010000 9623
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 15.62
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 974
074 Y000000 11955
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 218494
076 000000 14.75
078 000000 N
080 A000000 ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
080 C000000 60000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 87
082 A000000 Y
082 B000000 100
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
087 A010000 COMMON STOCK
087 A020000 920920-105
087 A030000 VQC
087 B010000 PREFERRED
087 B020000 920920-204
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 Y
SIGNATURE DENNIS J MCDONNELL
TITLE PRES, CEO & TRUSTEE
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CAPTION>
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1995
<PERIOD-START> SEP-01-1994
<PERIOD-END> FEB-28-1995
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 218373856
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 225207778
<RECEIVABLES> 3747654
<ASSETS-OTHER> 9490
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 1276700
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 230241622
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 4292348
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 630613
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 4922961
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 75000000
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 142505605
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 9623295
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 9623295
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 2147258
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (1168124)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 6833922
<NET-ASSETS> 225318661
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 7329761
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 1184606
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 6145155
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (728573)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 344250
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 5760832
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 6490679
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 26301
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (756148)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 2492782
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (413250)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 751817
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 1184606
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 143493959
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 15.699
<PER-SHARE-NII> .638
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (.040)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> .674
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> .003
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 15.620
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.65
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
