More selective than 39% of Iowa colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $55,054. College Scorecard.
Higher than 31% of Iowa colleges we cover and 58% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 77% of Iowa colleges we cover and 71% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Mount Mercy University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,436 applicants, Mount Mercy University admitted 1,131 and 208 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Mount Mercy University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Mount Mercy University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Mount Mercy University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Iowa. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,070 | $69,646 | 2.9 years |
| $30–48k | $15,294 | $62,400 | 2.6 years |
| $48–75k | $16,883 | $68,883 | 2.9 years |
| $75–110k | $20,311 | $82,869 | 3.4 years |
| $110k+ | $25,244 | $102,996 | 4.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (52% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($60,787) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $24,126 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Mount Mercy University majors, earnings & careers
Mount Mercy University offers 45 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 11
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Science & Math · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 3
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Mount Mercy University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $75,613 | $27,000 |
| Business | $64,408 | $33,583 |
| Human Resources | $61,772 | $29,225 |
| Accounting | $59,763 | — |
| Finance | $57,928 | $25,250 |
| Business Administration | $57,378 | $27,000 |
| Marketing | $57,111 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $49,685 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 45 majors
- Accounting$59,763
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$49,685
- Business$64,408
- Business Administration$57,378
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other—
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice$46,517
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,713
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance$57,928
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Hospitality Management—
- Human Resources$61,772
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$57,111
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$75,613
- Philosophy—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$45,951
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$49,542
- Sociology—
- Studio Art—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Cedar Rapids
Overall prices in the Cedar Rapids, IA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,054. Housing costs 29% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 34 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Linn County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Linn County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Mount Mercy University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Iowa by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Mercy University | 83% | $20,168 | 58% | $60,787 | This school |
| Cornell College | 80% | $23,634 | 62% | $53,460 | |
| Northwestern College | 80% | $25,907 | 66% | $49,802 | |
| Simpson College | 86% | $21,936 | 63% | $59,274 | |
| Buena Vista University | 78% | $18,846 | 62% | $49,156 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Mount Mercy University would cost you $3,466 less per year than Cornell College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Mount Mercy University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$11,782).
- Cornell College gives aided families $7,729 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Iowa resident | Mount Mercy University | Cornell College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $40,878 | $52,660 | −$11,782 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $11,030 | $11,358 | −$328 |
| Personal & travel | $4,700 | $3,160 | +$1,540 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,754 | −$2,129 | −$625 |
| Sticker price | $55,054 | $66,249 | −$11,195 |
| Average grants | −$34,886 | −$42,615 | +$7,729 |
| You pay | $20,168 | $23,634 | −$3,466 |
“+” means Mount Mercy University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Mount Mercy University
What is the Mount Mercy University acceptance rate?
Mount Mercy University accepts 83% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,131 of 1,436 applicants were admitted.
How much does Mount Mercy University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $55,054 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,168 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,070 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,244.
How much do Mount Mercy University graduates earn?
Former Mount Mercy University students earn a median $60,787 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Mount Mercy University graduation rate?
58% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 73% return for their second year.
How long does a Mount Mercy University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Mount Mercy University costs about $68,883 after grants ($16,883 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $60,787 ten years after starting, $24,126 more than high school graduates in Iowa ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 2.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Mount Mercy University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/mount-mercy-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).