Gwynedd Mercy University vs Alvernia University

Gwynedd Mercy University and Alvernia University, both rooted in the Catholic tradition, offer distinct educational experiences. Gwynedd Mercy, located in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, boasts a higher acceptance rate (85%) compared to Alvernia's 75%. With a larger student body, Gwynedd Mercy fosters a diverse community, while Alvernia's smaller size cultivates a close-knit atmosphere. While both universities excel in nursing and business programs, Gwynedd Mercy stands out in health professions, and Alvernia shines in engineering and computer science. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover more about these institutions' graduation rates, tuition fees, and other crucial factors that will help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Alvernia University	Gwynedd Mercy University
Overview
Location	Reading, Pennsylvania	Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	80.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	57.8%	90.6%
Application fees	$50
SAT range	N/A	990 - 1200
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score		33.0%
Students submitting ACT score		1.0%
Total number of applicants	5,371	904
Total number of admissions given out	3,103	819
Admitted students who chose to enroll	403	177
Yield rate	13.0%	21.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$49,480	$55,418
Average net price	$24,917	$25,843
Tuition	$37,780	$35,344
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,930 Meal plan: $6,750	Room/dormitory: $5,630 Meal plan: $6,640
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $26,065	99.0% Average amount $22,811
Students receiving federal student loan	94.0% Average amount $4,652	72.0% Average amount $5,356
Students taking out private loans	20.0% Average amount $18,154	23.0% Average amount $15,362

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,032 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%	1,792 Men 28.2% Women 71.8%
Graduate students	504 Men 31.0% Women 69.0%	729 Men 20.0% Women 80.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	27.8%	N/A
International students	4.0%	0.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,079	531
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania New Jersey Maryland New Mexico Virginia	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Public Administration and Social Service Psychology	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	65.3%	54.6%
Dropout rate	6.2%	45.0%
Transferred out	27.9%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,956 Year 2: $64,553 Year 3: $70,009 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,528 Year 2: $63,600 Year 3: $69,944 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,042 Year 2: $60,878 Year 3: $68,491 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,259 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $54,161 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,308 Year 2: $45,500 Year 3: $50,326 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,968 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $47,691 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,786 Year 2: $39,832 Year 3: $46,290 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,572 Year 2: $31,941 Year 3: $42,891 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,208 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $40,464 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,850 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,539	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,087 Year 2: $75,011 Year 3: $75,976 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $45,032 Year 2: $61,144 Year 3: $74,072 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,939 Year 2: $58,402 Year 3: $64,950 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,529 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $64,480 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,042 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $51,733 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,758 Year 2: $28,816 Year 3: $44,212 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $70,373 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,522 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,752 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,562 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: N/A

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