Mercyhurst University vs Muhlenberg College

Mercyhurst University and Muhlenberg College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Mercyhurst, a private Catholic university in Erie, Pennsylvania, boasts a 75% acceptance rate and a diverse student body representing 42 states and 40 countries. Muhlenberg, a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, has a more selective admissions process with a 58% acceptance rate and a student body primarily from the Mid-Atlantic region. While Mercyhurst excels in nursing, education, and business, Muhlenberg shines in the liberal arts, sciences, and social sciences. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Mercyhurst at 78% and Muhlenberg at 84%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these two exceptional institutions and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Mercyhurst University	Muhlenberg College
Overview
Location	Erie, Pennsylvania	Allentown, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Small	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	78.0%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	82.4%	67.8%
Application fees		$50
SAT range	N/A	1200 - 1370
ACT range	N/A	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score		34.0%
Students submitting ACT score		12.0%
Total number of applicants	3,893	4,118
Total number of admissions given out	3,207	2,790
Admitted students who chose to enroll	625	450
Yield rate	19.5%	16.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$56,475	$71,880
Average net price	$25,785	$30,920
Tuition	$39,750	$55,095
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,966 Meal plan: $6,784	Room/dormitory: $7,035 Meal plan: $5,765
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $30,945	97.0% Average amount $37,483
Students receiving federal student loan	73.0% Average amount $5,469	62.0% Average amount $5,381
Students taking out private loans	19.0% Average amount $17,125	7.0% Average amount $24,182

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,641 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%	2,074 Men 40.5% Women 59.5%
Graduate students	400 Men 35.8% Women 64.2%	21 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	4.5%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,900	1,922
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Military Technologies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Education	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts Business Communication and Journalism Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.3%	82.0%
Dropout rate	14.6%	17.9%
Transferred out	22.9%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,851 Year 2: $49,464 Year 3: $60,543 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,104 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $55,368 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,743 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $54,163 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $50,420 Year 2: $52,562 Year 3: $52,863 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $50,334 Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $46,945 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,580 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $46,106 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,341 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $45,426 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,961 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $41,401 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,610 Year 2: $32,658 Year 3: $40,216	Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,892 Year 2: $65,387 Year 3: $76,365 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,174 Year 2: $63,430 Year 3: $70,575 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,828 Year 2: $50,105 Year 3: $56,960 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,684 Year 2: $54,644 Year 3: $56,688 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,496 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $52,763 Dance (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,541 Year 2: $35,420 Year 3: $47,919 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,225 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $44,789 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,411 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $44,431 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,407 Year 2: $34,298 Year 3: $39,267 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,426 Year 2: $19,749 Year 3: $24,340

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