Mercer vs Harding University

Mercer University and Harding University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Mercer, a private Baptist university in Macon, Georgia, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, including popular majors like nursing, business, and education. Harding, a private Christian university in Searcy, Arkansas, is known for its strong emphasis on faith-based education and its commitment to community service. With different acceptance rates, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, these universities cater to different student needs and aspirations. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Harding University	Mercer University
Overview
Location	Searcy, Arkansas	Macon, Georgia
Campus setting	Town: Distant	City: Midsize
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	84.0%	86.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ

Admission
Acceptance rate	54.1%	75.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $45	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1050 - 1300	1220 - 1400
ACT range	20 - 28	28 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	23.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	17.0%
Total number of applicants	2,200	7,201
Total number of admissions given out	1,191	5,430
Admitted students who chose to enroll	748	950
Yield rate	62.8%	17.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$34,538	$56,162
Average net price	$20,533	$21,164
Tuition	$21,690	$38,446
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,068 Meal plan: $4,658	Room/dormitory: $6,580 Meal plan: $6,858
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $12,769	100.0% Average amount $32,845
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,607	51.0% Average amount $5,473
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $12,585	16.0% Average amount $10,195

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,684 Men 43.8% Women 56.2%	4,941 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Graduate students	1,289 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%	4,068 Men 31.4% Women 68.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	11.6%
International students	6.2%	2.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,867	3,025
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Georgia Florida Alabama South Carolina Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Communication and Journalism Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Education Business Legal Profession Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.2%	73.6%
Dropout rate	31.7%	4.8%
Transferred out	N/A	21.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $117,748 Year 2: $124,539 Year 3: $127,639 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,011 Year 2: $106,978 Year 3: $105,028 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,933 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $88,179 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $69,415 Year 2: $68,618 Year 3: $71,365 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,335 Year 2: $66,104 Year 3: $69,942 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,533 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $67,054 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,156 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $65,082 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,219 Year 2: $57,047 Year 3: $64,125 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,088 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $62,592 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,124 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $60,778	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $102,958 Year 2: $115,064 Year 3: $119,786 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,104 Year 2: $95,930 Year 3: $108,135 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,605 Year 2: $90,856 Year 3: $99,907 Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,042 Year 2: $85,538 Year 3: $90,728 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $86,601 Year 2: $87,604 Year 3: $88,650 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,345 Year 2: $70,736 Year 3: $77,709 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $69,717 Year 2: $71,127 Year 3: $75,469 Curriculum and Instruction (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $72,283 Year 2: $72,682 Year 3: $74,940 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,626 Year 2: $49,729 Year 3: $73,114 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,605 Year 2: $54,109 Year 3: $69,855

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