Mercyhurst University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Erie, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 2,191 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
64/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes57
Value40
Affordability50
Selectivity41
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Mercyhurst University admits 81% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
81%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Mercyhurst University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
3.2 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $19,444 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$45,770
Room & Board (on-campus)
$14,540
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,030
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,269
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,269
Total Cost of Attendance
$59,557
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$22,626
$30,001 – $48,000
$22,429
$48,001 – $75,000
$17,197
$75,001 – $110,000
$21,665
Over $110,000
$16,748
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,75010%percentile
$8,25025%percentile
$25,305Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$33,97690%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $19,000
↓ $6,305
No Pell $19,500
↓ $5,805
Dependent students $19,500
↓ $5,805
Independent students $20,000
↓ $5,305
Female students $20,542
↓ $4,763
Male students $14,250
↓ $11,055
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,250, less than completers ($25,305), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
44% of students who start here finish within six years, and 79% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
44%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
79%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $47,452 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$47,452
Earning > $25K
74%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$40,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$49,600
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$38,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$43,700
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$47,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,100, about 18% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
23.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 89% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,191 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
2,191
Part-Time
4%
First-Generation
29%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 73.4%1,608
Black 7.4%162
International 6.0%131
Hispanic 5.6%122
Asian 1.6%34
Other 0.7%15
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Mercyhurst University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Mercyhurst University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
73 distinct programs across
19 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 15 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
15:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$100M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$65,521
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
131 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
25
19%
$84,805
Associate Professors
31
24%
$69,151
Assistant Professors
54
41%
$58,832
Instructors
16
12%
$52,819
Lecturers
5
4%
$59,486
Pros & Cons of Mercyhurst University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Mercyhurst University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Mercyhurst University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mercyhurst University
The questions families ask most about Mercyhurst University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Mercyhurst University hard to get into?
Not especially. Mercyhurst University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 81%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Mercyhurst University?
81% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Mercyhurst University cost?
Budget around $19,444 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Mercyhurst University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $47,452 a year against a net price of $19,444, about 2.4 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Mercyhurst University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Intelligence, Intelligence. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Mercyhurst University graduates earn?
About $47,452 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Mercyhurst University accredited?
Yes. Mercyhurst University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Mercyhurst University?
2,191 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Mercyhurst University?
44% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Mercyhurst University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Mercyhurst University located?
Mercyhurst University is located in Erie, Pennsylvania.
What programs does Mercyhurst University offer?
73 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Intelligence, Intelligence. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Mercyhurst University?
15 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Pennsylvania
Other colleges in Pennsylvania share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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