Mercy University
Dobbs Ferry, New York · Private Nonprofit · 85.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 53/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Mercy University scores 53 (Below Average Value) on the CampusROI scale. The score reflects a difficult combination: 45.7% completion rate (sub-score 30) and an extremely low repayment rate of 54.3% (sub-score 11 - near the floor). Nearly half of enrolled students do not graduate, and more than 45% of borrowers are not making progress paying down their debt within five years of leaving the institution. The payback period is 11.5 years (sub-score 53), but the structural problems - completion and repayment - dominate. Net price is $14,072, median debt $19,637, and six-year earnings $37,800. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.519 (sub-score 69) is the institution's strongest financial metric. Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science (10 graduates, B+, $101,516 year-one) and Registered Nursing (318 graduates, B, $90,933 year-one) represent genuinely strong financial outcomes and are the clear anchors of the institution's earnings premium (sub-score 67). Psychology (125 graduates, D), Criminal Justice (71 graduates, D), Social Sciences (87 graduates, D), and Kinesiology (17 graduates, F) drag the institutional average. Mercy is a commuter-heavy institution in Dobbs Ferry, NY, serving a predominantly lower-income and working-adult student body - the 50% Pell grant rate is a key contextual signal. The institution's financial profile is sharply bifurcated: health profession graduates do well; humanities and social science graduates do not.
Mercy University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $22,880/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $22,880/yr |
| Average net price | $14,072/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $56,288 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $52,055 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $37,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $19,637 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $208 |
| Estimated payback period | 11.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 45.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,735 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $22,880/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $14,072/year, or roughly $56,288 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $11,974/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $21,299/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $19,637, which works out to about $208 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($37,800) and comes to 0.52, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $11,974 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,598 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,056 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $17,725 |
| $110,001+ | $21,299 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $11,974 per year at Mercy - below the $14,072 average, reflecting meaningful aid for the lowest-income students. The 30001-48000 bracket pays $12,598, nearly the same. For low-income students, Mercy's $12k annual cost against 50.5% completion and 54.3% repayment rates creates a mixed picture. The cost is genuinely accessible; the completion and repayment risks are real. Students in the nursing or clinical lab tracks have a clear path to strong outcomes; students in general liberal arts or social science programs face more uncertainty.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $15,056 and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $17,725. The price steps up meaningfully for middle-income families. At $15-18k annually, Mercy is affordable but not bargain-priced for what the median outcome delivers. Middle-income students who are not in health profession programs should consider whether $15k per year is a good investment against $37,800 average six-year earnings and an 11.5-year payback period.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket pays $21,299 - approaching near-sticker for this institution. Four-year cost is roughly $85,000. Higher-income families at this price point should require a clear program rationale: nursing or clinical lab science justify the investment; undirected liberal arts or social science enrollment at $21k per year against median outcomes does not provide strong financial justification.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Mercy University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $118,232 | B |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $64,963 | C |
| Psychology | $53,346 | D |
| Health Professions, Residency Programs | $58,471 | D |
| Social Sciences, General | $55,052 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $51,758 | D |
| Biology | $62,849 | D |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $46,408 | D |
| Accounting | $72,587 | C |
| Social Work | $59,024 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is Mercy's largest program at 318 graduates and its strongest financial anchor: $90,933 year-one, $118,232 at year four, B grade, debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.390 against $35,500 median debt. Monthly payments on $35,500 debt run roughly $376. Against a $90k first-year salary, this is entirely manageable. Nursing students at Mercy have access to a major urban healthcare employment market (New York metro) and credentialed outcomes that justify the enrollment investment.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration (168 graduates) earns $42,211 year-one and $64,963 at year four, with a C grade and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.616 against $26,000 median debt. The C grade reflects adequate but not strong financial returns relative to cost. The $14,072 net price helps - at lower absolute cost, the C grade is more tolerable than it would be at higher-priced institutions. The four-year trajectory to $65k is the more meaningful signal for business career persistence.
Psychology
Psychology (125 graduates) earns a D ROI grade: $32,505 year-one, $53,346 at year four, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.800 against $26,000 median debt. Monthly payments on $26,000 debt run roughly $275. Against $32,505 first-year earnings, that payment represents 10% of gross income - significant financial pressure. Students considering psychology at Mercy should either plan explicitly for graduate school (and factor in that additional debt) or understand the D-grade financial outcome they are accepting.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 46.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 54.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 44.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 50.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Mercy University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 85.8% |
| Enrollment | 5,735 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 50.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,574 |
At 85.8%, Mercy is a broad-access institution. No SAT or ACT ranges are reported, consistent with a near-open admissions model. Admissions at Mercy is not an academic filter - the institution's challenges are retention, completion, and post-graduation earnings for non-health majors. Students who gain admission should focus less on admissions and more on the completion question: what support systems, program choice, and financial planning are in place to reach graduation.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Mercy's repayment rate is 54.3% (sub-score 11). The overall score is pulled down by the large volume of social science, humanities, and criminal justice enrollments where outcomes are consistently in the D to F range.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy University (this school) | 53 | $14,072 | $52,055 |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 94 | $29,882 | $131,426 |
| Adelphi University | 75 | $30,783 | $75,482 |
| California Baptist University | 53 | $26,285 | $61,504 |
| Wilmington University | 51 | $15,644 | $53,844 |
| Park University | 50 | $21,032 | $56,309 |
Who Thrives Here
Mercy University admits 85.8% of applicants and reports no SAT or ACT ranges in Scorecard. Enrollment is 5,735. Students considering Mercy should weigh the 45.7% completion rate carefully - the institution serves students facing real structural barriers to graduation. Health profession and nursing students have clear, well-paid career paths at this institution; students in humanities or social sciences face a more difficult financial trajectory.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Mercy University is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $14,072 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $52,055 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 11.5 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What to keep an eye on: its 45.7% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 54.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $19,637 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $37,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Mercy University: Common Questions
Is Mercy University worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Mercy University scores 53/100 on our ROI scale. At $14,072 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $52,055 ten years after entry, so it takes about 11.5 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Mercy University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $14,072 a year, or roughly $56,288 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Mercy University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $52,055 ten years after enrolling, roughly $10,255 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Mercy University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 11.5 years for Mercy University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Mercy University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $19,637, against average earnings of $37,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Mercy University?
The six-year graduation rate is 45.7%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.