Mercer University — admissions, outcomes, merit aid & scholarships

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

Solid academic profile (SAT 1180–1350 · ACT 25–31 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
Students drawn to Health Professions or Business, Management, & Marketing (the two biggest majors)
Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1180, or ACT below 25, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification

R2: Doctoral - High Research Activity

Total enrollment

4,500

5,000 - 9,999

In-state tuition

$42,312

sticker, before aid

Tuition

$42,312

flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)

Admit rate

66.5%

Accessible

SAT middle 50%

1180–1350

EBRW + Math composite

ACT middle 50%

25–31

composite

Test policy

Test-optional

2023

10-yr earnings

$58,354

median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry

$50,231

Earnings, 10 yrs after entry

$58,354

4-year completion

70%

Median debt (completers)

$24,199

Cost of attendance

$58,204

sticker price, not net

Pell-eligible students

35%

💰 True ROI

6.1× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)

$95,388

$23,847/yr avg net

Aid that hides behind the sticker

$137,428

vs sticker $232,816

10-yr earnings total

$583,540

$58,354/yr median, 10 yrs out

Years to recoup actual cost

1.6 yrs

at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Mercer University, the average net price is $23,847/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k

$19,817/yr

Family income $30-48k

$21,484/yr

Family income $48-75k

$22,533/yr

Family income $75-110k

$25,184/yr

Family income $110k+

$26,770/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Mercer University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Mercer University →

Opens on Mercer University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Mercer University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Mercer University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Health Professions

300 degrees · 37.1%

Typical career outcomes

Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k

Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.

2. Business, Management, & Marketing

178 degrees · 22.0%

Typical career outcomes

Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k

Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.

3. Engineering

138 degrees · 17.1%

Typical career outcomes

Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k

Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.

4. Biological & Biomedical Sciences

113 degrees · 14.0%

Typical career outcomes

Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k

Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.

5. Psychology

79 degrees · 9.8%

Typical career outcomes

HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k

Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Mercer University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP)	Credential	Cohort	1-yr earnings	4-yr earnings
Engineering, General.	Bachelor's Degree	131	$72,403	$88,413
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	Bachelor's Degree	217	$76,787	$85,030
Computer and Information Sciences, General.	Bachelor's Degree	8	—	$80,937
Business/Commerce, General.	Bachelor's Degree	24	$52,819	$77,713
Business Administration, Management and Operations.	Bachelor's Degree	31	—	$75,835
Accounting and Related Services.	Bachelor's Degree	29	—	$75,529
Marketing.	Bachelor's Degree	62	$44,203	$71,629
Criminal Justice and Corrections.	Bachelor's Degree	13	$37,319	$71,602
Human Resources Management and Services.	Bachelor's Degree	32	$47,538	$68,052
Finance and Financial Management Services.	Bachelor's Degree	35	$47,956	$66,036

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Mercer University

CS degrees (annual)

16

CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Mercer University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Mercer University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options

These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Mercer University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.

University of Alabama in Huntsville

AL · Public

39 auto-merit scholarships on file

Texas Tech University

TX · Public

31 auto-merit scholarships on file

The University of Alabama

AL · Public

23 auto-merit scholarships on file

Mississippi State University

MS · Public

19 auto-merit scholarships on file