Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Mercyhurst University

Erie, Pennsylvania·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Mid East·mercyhurst.edu
6-yr Graduation
60%
-4.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
2,632
peer median 3,215
Avg net price
$19,444
-$4.5k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeResearch fundingCommon Data SetDocumentsAlumni

About

Mercyhurst University is a private Catholic university in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
3,567
3,567 candidates competed
Admitted
2,890
81.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
588
20.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
60%-4.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
58%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
64%
Full-time retention
80%

Pell equity

28.1pp gap
Pell recipients
43%139 of 320
Non-Pell (all)
71%349 of 491
Subsidized loan, no Pell
73%313 of 430
No Federal Aid
59%36 of 61

Non-Pell students graduate at a 28.1-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 95 Title IV programs, 26 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 68 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
95
Passing
26
27.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
1.1% of portfolio
Fail rate
1.1%
+0.5pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

95programs
  • Passing26 · 27.4%
  • No Data68 · 71.6%
  • Failing1 · 1.1%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
1
Watch
5
Safe
20
No data
68

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

27
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
-1.1%
$58,112 vs $58,761
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+8.6%
$50,399 vs $46,391
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
+11.2%
$51,575 vs $46,391
Business Administration Management and Operations
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+15.7%
$40,802 vs $35,274
Dance
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+16.4%
$41,049 vs $35,274
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Associate Degree · Security And Protective Services
+21.9%
$42,983 vs $35,274
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+23.9%
$43,694 vs $35,274
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+27.6%
$45,013 vs $35,274

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
-1.1%
−$649

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

20
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
89%
$110,215 debt · $124,378 earn
Dance
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
66%
$27,000 debt · $41,049 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
60%
$26,039 debt · $43,694 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
60%
$27,000 debt · $45,411 earn
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Other
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
57%
$27,000 debt · $47,652 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
56%
$28,309 debt · $50,399 earn
Special Education and Teaching
Bachelor Degree · Education
54%
$27,000 debt · $49,638 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
49%
$27,000 debt · $54,902 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 2022Next review Jan 2030
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 1931Next review Jun 2018

Programmatic accreditations · 13

Action history · 10

  1. Nov 2025Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation Removed
    American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PTA) - Programs for the physical therapist assistant
  2. Apr 2025Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Probation
    American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PTA) - Programs for the physical therapist assistant
  3. Feb 2023Grant Substantive Change: Program
    National League for Nursing, Commission for Nurse Education Accreditation · Nursing - Associate degree
  4. Feb 2023Grant Substantive Change: Program
    National League for Nursing, Commission for Nurse Education Accreditation · Nursing - Associate degree
  5. Nov 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PTA) - Programs for the physical therapist assistant

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$22,626
$30–48k$22,429
$48–75k$17,197
$75–110k$21,665
$110k+$16,748

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$19,444
-$4,523vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $23,967
Federal loans
64.7%
In-state tuition
$45,770
Out-of-state
$45,770

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 871 students received $5.0M in Pell grants, alongside $20.2M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
871
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$5.0M
$4,982,285 total
Direct Loans
$20.2M
2,997 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$4.2M
1,084 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$5.2M
1,417 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$2.7M
163 loan awards
Parent PLUS$5.4M
273 loan awards
Grad PLUS$2.6M
60 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 1,072 borrowers who entered repayment, 36 (3.3%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
3.3%
+1.0pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,072
Defaulted
36
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
8.7%
2017
9.8%
2018
6.4%
2019
3.3%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Mercyhurst

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs96
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

658 total completions
01Business
15423.4%
02Health Professions
12519.0%
03Education
7311.1%
04Military Tech
6710.2%
05Security/Protective
578.7%
06Biological Sciences
517.8%
07Computer Sciences
487.3%
08Psychology
294.4%
09Multi/Interdisciplinary
284.3%
10Visual/Performing Arts
264.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
2,632
12-mo unduplicated
2,806
Undergraduate
2,424
Graduate
382

Gender split

Men
43%1,201
Women
57%1,605

Race / ethnicity composition

White
73.4%
Black
7.4%
Non-resident
6.0%
Hispanic
5.6%
Unknown
5.4%
Asian
1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%
Two or more
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
759
464 M · 295 W
Women athletes
38.9%
Athletic aid
$10.9M
Total student aid
Budget
$19.3M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$6.3M
$4.6M
Recruiting expense
$151K
$105K
Head-coach salaries
$55K
$40K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 17

Football
134 M · —
$3.0M
Soccer
66 M · 51 W
$1.7M
Lacrosse
66 M · 39 W
$1.6M
Ice Hockey
32 M · 25 W
$3.7M
Baseball
53 M · —
$761K
Rowing
28 M · 15 W
$854K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
3.00
8 offenses · 2,668 students

3-year trend

2.302 yrs ago3.571 yr ago3.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
25
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
22
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
1

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
4
Aggravated assault
3
Fondling
1

By location

8total
  • On campus8

Includes 5 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
2
Dating violence
2
Stalking
4 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs042
Liquor262

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
14.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
132

Mercyhurst vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Mercyhurst selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectMercyhurst University
60%—2,632$19,444Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Assumption University
75%83.0%2,037$29,498Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Baker College
30%81.9%3,955$13,157Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Cedarville University
73%65.3%6,318$24,468Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Charleston Southern University
47%96.5%3,832$21,666Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Columbia College Chicago
52%89.5%5,570$26,598Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Cumberland University
42%67.3%3,457$18,759Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Dominican University of California
78%83.5%1,900$35,333Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Florida Southern College
71%64.4%3,211$28,551Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Franciscan University of Steubenville
75%58.4%3,976$23,589Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Lee University
63%70.5%3,714$18,878Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
LeTourneau University
59%38.0%3,330$28,185Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Milwaukee School of Engineering
67%58.9%2,953$22,453Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Mount St. Mary's University
65%73.8%2,408$22,655Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Oklahoma Christian University
56%96.5%2,851$21,872Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Oral Roberts University
57%98.9%5,936$25,365Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Otterbein University
68%84.5%2,332$19,237Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Pacific Lutheran University
69%78.0%2,797$19,589Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Rivier University
51%82.6%2,777$28,082Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Roger Williams University
69%87.7%4,350$37,999Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Seton Hill University
67%79.5%1,927$22,204Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Southern Adventist University
55%65.5%3,229$24,345Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
St Bonaventure University
67%81.6%2,752$27,074Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses
0%39.9%9,868$15,788Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Tuskegee University
55%48.7%3,121$35,013Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
University of Portland
80%89.2%3,285$28,210Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Whitworth University
71%89.8%2,314$26,534Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Xavier University of Louisiana
48%69.0%3,218$17,127Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Peer group median64%79.5%3,215$23,967

Institutions like Mercyhurst

Explore the federal data for institutions in Mercyhurst's comparison group.

IPEDS

Mercyhurst Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Email
IE [at] mercyhurst.edu
Phone
814-824-2000
Address
501 East 38th Street, Erie, Pennsylvania 16546

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness provides leadership and guidance to support all assessment and accreditation activities across campus, working closely with faculty and staff to coordinate systematic assessment of learning outcomes, evaluation of student services/administrative programs, and institution-level data collection for compliance reporting and accreditation requirements.

Visit IR office page

Research funding

External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.

NSF
USA Spending
$63,752,909
All sources
$63,752,909

Common Data Set

Mercyhurst's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Source publications

Reports & documents (1)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of Mercyhurst (13)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Polly Bukta
  • Pat Campbell
    Broadcasting
  • John Deasy
    Politics
  • Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong
  • Mary Celine Fasenmyer
    Mathematics
  • Pat Harkins
  • Matthew Hatchette
    Athletics
  • Rani Hoff
  • Brent Holsclaw
  • William Kowalski
    Literature
  • Robert Merski
  • Luke Ravenstahl
    Politics
Showing 1–12 of 13
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about Mercyhurst University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Mercyhurst.

What is the graduation rate at Mercyhurst University?

Mercyhurst University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 60% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Mercyhurst University?

Mercyhurst University reports a total enrollment of 2,632 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Mercyhurst University?

The average net price at Mercyhurst University is $19,444 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Mercyhurst University?

Mercyhurst University's yield rate is 20.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Mercyhurst University located?

Mercyhurst University is located in Erie, Pennsylvania 16546.

Who runs Institutional Research at Mercyhurst University?

Mercyhurst University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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