Mount Mercy University vs Briar Cliff University

Mount Mercy University and Briar Cliff University, both esteemed institutions in Iowa, offer distinct educational experiences. Mount Mercy, a private Catholic university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (85%) compared to Briar Cliff's 75%. Briar Cliff, on the other hand, has a slightly larger student body, with over 1,300 undergraduates. While both universities offer a diverse range of majors, Mount Mercy excels in nursing, education, and business, while Briar Cliff is known for its strong programs in biology, psychology, and social work. Mount Mercy's graduation rate stands at 58%, while Briar Cliff's is slightly higher at 62%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table below, highlighting key differences between these two universities. Explore the table to discover which institution better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Briar Cliff University	Mount Mercy University
Overview
Location	Sioux City, Iowa	Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	63.0%	78.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	81.0%
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants		1,278
Total number of admissions given out		1,035
Admitted students who chose to enroll		222
Yield rate		21.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$48,190	$53,992
Average net price	$21,734	$25,345
Tuition	$32,526	$35,540
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,713 Meal plan: $5,440	$10,428
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $25,701	100.0% Average amount $24,399
Students receiving federal student loan	70.0% Average amount $5,210	75.0% Average amount $8,519
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $12,375	15.0% Average amount $13,309

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	766 Men 47.4% Women 52.6%	1,290 Men 34.4% Women 65.6%
Graduate students	234 Men 31.6% Women 68.4%	290 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	62.6%	14.0%
International students	4.8%	4.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	571	561
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Iowa Nebraska Texas Virgin Islands Illinois	Iowa Illinois Arizona Minnesota Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Public Administration and Social Service Business Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Health Professions Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	55.7%	59.9%
Dropout rate	44.3%	39.2%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,675 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $75,805 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,009 Year 2: $57,657 Year 3: $59,664 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,817 Year 2: $47,650 Year 3: $58,240 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,709 Year 2: $47,397 Year 3: $56,596 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $40,775 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,691 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: N/A Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,406 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $62,863 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,108 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $71,895 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,297 Year 2: $68,666 Year 3: $68,063 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,444 Year 2: $52,822 Year 3: $63,134 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,232 Year 2: $58,402 Year 3: $60,703 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,547 Year 2: $56,847 Year 3: $56,894 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,894 Year 2: $47,846 Year 3: $56,288 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,879 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $46,541 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,384 Year 2: $41,689 Year 3: $44,808 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,591 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $41,729 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,647 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $40,888

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