# Mercer University

Private nonprofit college in Macon, GA. IPEDS ID 140447.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/mercer-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/mercer-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 69% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $23,847 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 70%; beats 89% of GA colleges and 78% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $58,354; beats 93% of GA colleges and 65% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $17,655

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $19,817 |
| 30-48k | $21,484 |
| 48-75k | $22,533 |
| 75-110k | $25,184 |
| 110k+ | $26,770 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.14 years on average (64% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $58,354 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in GA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $19,817 | $82,042 | 3.3 years |
| 30-48k | $21,484 | $88,944 | 3.6 years |
| 48-75k | $22,533 | $93,287 | 3.8 years |
| 75-110k | $25,184 | $104,262 | 4.2 years |
| 110k+ | $26,770 | $110,828 | 4.5 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $58,204
- Tuition and fees: $42,312
- Housing and meals: $14,528; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 590–680; SAT math: 570–670; ACT: 25–31 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 11,058 applicants, 7,349 admitted, 1,015 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 69%, ACT 25–31 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 67%, ACT 25–31 (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2024-25 (Fall 2024)
- Very important: rigor, gpa, interest; important: essay, recommendations, extracurriculars, talent, character, volunteer; considered: class rank, test scores, interview, work experience
- Early decision: no; early action: yes; waitlist: yes
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.8
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 83.85% of need met; 170 of 579 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: 240 students, average $25,086
- Source: https://oie.mercer.edu/www/mu-oie/research/upload/CDS-2024-2025_complete-2.pdf

## Majors (66 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | $72,403 | $88,413 | $26,000 |
| Nursing | $76,787 | $85,030 | $29,161 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | $80,937 | not reported |
| Business | $52,819 | $77,713 | $51,452 |
| Business Administration | not reported | $75,835 | not reported |
| Accounting | not reported | $75,529 | $27,000 |
| Marketing | $44,203 | $71,629 | $25,990 |
| Criminal Justice | $37,319 | $71,602 | $46,775 |
| Human Resources | $47,538 | $68,052 | $33,888 |
| Finance | $47,956 | $66,036 | $19,500 |
| Chemistry | $25,151 | $60,696 | $25,500 |
| Public Health | $27,108 | $60,401 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | not reported | $59,997 | $23,250 |
| Biology | $22,100 | $59,570 | $25,000 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $26,952 | $58,127 | $26,049 |
| Journalism | $32,807 | $53,182 | $26,000 |
| Communications | $35,712 | $52,530 | $26,990 |
| Psychology | $27,785 | $51,723 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $39,715 | $51,513 | $47,750 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | $48,060 | $46,033 |
| Music | not reported | $46,502 | not reported |
| Human Services | not reported | $45,484 | $54,500 |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Relations and Advertising | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Programming | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Information Science / Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Information Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Civil Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering-Related Fields | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Legal Studies / Paralegal | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | $26,920 |
| Neuroscience | not reported | not reported | $25,424 |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Statistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International / Global Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computational Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Homeland Security | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences | $61,612 | not reported | $47,010 |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Relations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pre-Med / Pre-Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Information Systems | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $85,070 (Macon-Bibb County, GA), $93,550 (GA), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher: median wage $61,510 (Macon-Bibb County, GA), $72,290 (GA), $63,970 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).