by our College Data Analytics TeamMake an informed decision about your education by understanding Mount Mercy retention and graduation rates. First year retention rates let you know how many first-time, full-time students students come back for their second year. Graduation rates tell you how many students complete their degree and how long it takes.
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 73% students making it past their freshmen year, Mount Mercy has freshmen retention rates above the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Iowa, the average is 68.94%.
| Retention Rate | |
|---|---|
| Mount Mercy | 73% |
| Nationwide | 70.57% |
| Iowa | 68.94% |
How many of the estimated 343 students in the class of 2023 actually finished their degree in a timely fashion?
Four years after beginning their degree, 57% of those students had graduated. By 2025, six years after starting their degree, 63% of the students had graduated and after eight years 63% of this class completed their degree.
Any student who completes their bachelor's degree within six years is considered to have graduated on time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This makes the offical Mount Mercy graduation rate 63%.
| Completion Within | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 310 | 57% |
| Six Years | 343 | 63% |
| Eight Years | 1 | 0% |
| Did Not Complete | 204 | 37% |
The non-completers rate is anyone who is not still enrolled at the institution after eight years. Both transfer students and drop-outs could be included in this group.
Approximately 204 students or 37% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 204 students who did not complete their degree?
1 are still enrolled.
127 transferred to another institution.
Mount Mercy lost contact with the remaining 76 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 0.5% |
| Transferred | 127 | 62.3% |
| Dropped Out | 76 | 37.3% |
| Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 67% |
| Black / African-American | 38% |
| Hawaiian | 50% |
| Hispanic | 67% |
| International | 40% |
| Multi-Ethnic | 100% |
| Unknown | 18% |
| White | 60% |
Traditional first-time, full-time students under 25 tend to graduate in four years far more often than other students. Some schools serve mostly traditional students while others serve more 'non-traditional' students — part-timers or those returning after time away — who commonly take longer to finish.
Traditional Students:
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.
Non-Traditional Students:
Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.
A meaningful share of students at Mount Mercy are considered 'non-traditional students' who are not first-time, full-time, and under 25.
Comparing the graduation rates of the specific cohorts below can be more revealing than the overall graduation rates.
First-time / full-time students at Mount Mercy University represent 43.25% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Mount Mercy graduation rate was 58%, and by the eight year mark, 58% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
| Completions | Mount Mercy | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 51% | 37.92% |
| Six Years | 58% | 46.43% |
| Eight Years | 58% | 47.82% |
100 first-time / full-time students or 42% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
1 are still enrolled.
73 transferred to another institution.
Mount Mercy lost contact with the remaining 26 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 1 | 1.00% |
| Transferred | 73 | 73.00% |
| Dropped Out | 26 | 26.00% |
First-time / part-time students at Mount Mercy University represent 0.91% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Mount Mercy graduation rate was 20%, and by the eight year mark, 20% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 14.37% after four years, 21.59% after six years, and 23.72% after eight years.
| Completions | Mount Mercy | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 14.37% |
| Six Years | 20% | 21.59% |
| Eight Years | 20% | 23.72% |
4 first-time / part-time students or 80% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
1 transferred to another institution.
Mount Mercy lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 1 | 25.00% |
| Dropped Out | 3 | 75.00% |
Returning / full-time students at Mount Mercy University represent 31.57% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Mount Mercy graduation rate was 73%, and by the eight year mark, 74% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
| Completions | Mount Mercy | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
| Six Years | 73% | 53.83% |
| Eight Years | 74% | 55.07% |
45 non first-time / part-time students or 26% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
22 transferred to another institution.
Mount Mercy lost contact with the remaining 23 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 22 | 48.89% |
| Dropped Out | 23 | 51.11% |
Returning / part-time students at Mount Mercy University represent 24.27% of the students in the class of 2023.
After six years, the Mount Mercy graduation rate was 59%, and by the eight year mark, 59% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for this group is 30.46% after four years, 36.03% after six years, and 37.80% after eight years.
| Completions | Mount Mercy | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Four Years | 53% | 30.46% |
| Six Years | 59% | 36.03% |
| Eight Years | 59% | 37.80% |
55 non first-time / part-time students or 41% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
0 are still enrolled.
31 transferred to another institution.
Mount Mercy lost contact with the remaining 24 who we assumed dropped out.
| Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Still Enrolled | 0 | 0.00% |
| Transferred | 31 | 56.36% |
| Dropped Out | 24 | 43.64% |
