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Mercyhurst University: Rankings, Admissions, Cost & Majors

24 awards Ranking Badges
Fair Price Value for Your Money
81% Acceptance Rate

Mercyhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution in Erie, Pennsylvania enrolling 2,191 undergraduates. It accepts 81% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 60%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #1,230 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 24%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.

Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.

How Is Mercyhurst University Ranked?

Mercyhurst University ranks #1,230 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 24%.

#1,230 Best Colleges in Nation
#83 Best Colleges in PA
Mercyhurst University ranking badge

2027 Rankings

College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities in its annual rankings and ranks them in a variety of ways, including most diverse, best overall quality, best for non-traditional students, and much more.

Mercyhurst University was awarded 24 badges in the 2027 rankings.

Overall Quality

Mercyhurst is ranked #1,230 out of 5,159 schools in the nation for overall quality on College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges list.

Within the state, Mercyhurst holds the #83 spot on the Best Colleges in Pennsylvania ranking.

See all of the rankings for Mercyhurst University.

Is It Hard to Get Into Mercyhurst University?

81% Acceptance Rate
84% Of Accepted Are Women

Acceptance Rate

The acceptance rate at Mercyhurst University is 81%. That’s higher than the rate at many schools, but still low enough to be considered somewhat selective. If you want to get in, you’ll need good grades and to be able to show that Mercyhurst is a good fit for you.

Learn more about Mercyhurst University admissions.

What Is the Student-to-Faculty Ratio at Mercyhurst University?

14 to 1 Student to Faculty
60% Full Time Teachers

Student to Faculty Ratio

The student to faculty ratio at Mercyhurst University is about average at 14 to 1. This ratio is often used to gauge how many students might be in an average class and how much time professors will have to spend with their students on an individual level. The national average for this metric is 15 to 1.

Percent of Full-Time Faculty

In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.

The full-time faculty percentage at Mercyhurst University is 60%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.

Full-Time Faculty Percent  60 out of 100
0
100

What Are the Graduation and Retention Rates at Mercyhurst University?

80% Freshmen Retention
60% On-Time Graduation Rate

Freshmen Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate of 80% tells us that most first-year, full-time students like Mercyhurst University enough to come back for another year. This is a fair bit higher than the national average of 68%. That’s certainly something to check off in the good column about the school.

Freshmen Retention Rate  80 out of 100
0
100

Graduation Rate

The on-time graduation rate for someone pursuing a bachelor’s degree is typically four years. This rate at Mercyhurst for first-time, full-time students is 60%, which is better than the national average of 33.3%.

On-Time Graduation Rate  60 out of 100
0
100

Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Mercyhurst University.

How Diverse Is Mercyhurst University?

2,191 Undergraduate Students
14.6% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
57.3% Percent Women

During the most recent academic year, there were 2,191 undergraduates at Mercyhurst.

Get more detailed information on the diversity at Mercyhurst University.

How Much Does Mercyhurst University Cost?

$17,140 Net Price
65% Take Out Loans
$25,848 Total Student Loans

The average net price of Mercyhurst is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.

Net Price by Income Group for Mercyhurst

$0-30 K $30K-48K $48-75 $75-110K $110K +
$22,626 $22,429 $17,197 $21,665 $16,748

The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of Mercyhurst, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.

Student Loan Debt

While almost two-thirds of students nationwide take out loans to pay for college, the percentage may be quite different for the school you plan on attending. At Mercyhurst, approximately 65% of students took out student loans averaging $6,462 a year. That adds up to $25,848 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 10.6%. This is about the same as the national default rate of 10.1%. Get more details about paying for Mercyhurst University.

How Much Do Mercyhurst University Graduates Earn?

$47,452 Avg Salary of Grads
Average Earnings Boost

Yearly salaries vary depending on what you major in, but on average, bachelor’s degree recipients from Mercyhurst University make around $47,452 per year during the early years of their employment. This is right on par with the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year. Also, graduates in your major field may make more. Average Salary for Mercyhurst University Graduates

See which majors at Mercyhurst University make the most money.

Where Is Mercyhurst University Located?

Pennsylvania State
2,191 Undergraduate Students
Small City Campus Setting

Mercyhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution found in Erie, Pennsylvania. The location of the school is great for students who enjoy the amenities of city life. Get more details about the location of Mercyhurst University.

Location of Mercyhurst University

Contact details for Mercyhurst University are listed below.

Contact Details
Address: 501 E 38th St, Erie, PA 16546
Phone: 8148242000
Website: www.mercyhurst.edu
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercyhurst_University
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HurstU
Twitter: twitter.com/mercyhurstu

What Majors Does Mercyhurst University Offer?

21 Majors With Completions
1,556 Undergraduate Degrees

In the most recent reporting year, students from 21 majors graduated from Mercyhurst University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.

Most Popular Majors Completions Average Salary of Graduates
Multi-Disciplinary Studies 778 NA
Criminal Justice & Corrections 70 $25,610
Intelligence & Command Operations 69 $55,285
Business Administration & Management 51 $39,056
Information Technology 49 NA
Nursing 48 $50,420
Special Education 37 $39,580
General Biology 33 $20,511
Allied Health Professions 33 $94,851
General Psychology 29 $19,961

Learn more about the majors offered at Mercyhurst University along with which ones have the highest average starting salaries.

Does Mercyhurst Offer Online Classes?

29% Take At Least One Class Online

632 students took at least one online class at Mercyhurst University.

Online courses are a great option for busy, working students as well as for those who have scheduling conflicts and want to study on their own time. As time goes by, expect to see more and more online learning options become available.

Learn more about online learning at Mercyhurst University.

Curious how schools stack up against Mercyhurst? Pit them head to head with College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you.

Notes and References

Footnotes

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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