Valpo U vs Mercer

Valparaiso University and Mercer University, both esteemed private institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Valparaiso, a Lutheran university in Indiana, boasts a lower acceptance rate (68%) compared to Mercer's (75%) in Georgia. Valparaiso's student body is predominantly White (79%) and female (56%), while Mercer's is more diverse, with a larger proportion of Black or African American students (26%) and a more balanced gender ratio. Mercer offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors including Business, Nursing, and Education, while Valparaiso is known for its strengths in Engineering, Business, and Nursing. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with Valparaiso's at 75% and Mercer's at 68%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Mercer University	Valparaiso University
Overview
Location	Macon, Georgia	Valparaiso, Indiana
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	86.0%	81.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.4%	93.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	$30
SAT range	1220 - 1400	N/A
ACT range	28 - 32	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	17.0%
Total number of applicants	7,201	6,095
Total number of admissions given out	5,430	5,679
Admitted students who chose to enroll	950	601
Yield rate	17.5%	10.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$56,162	$56,516
Average net price	$21,164	$21,997
Tuition	$38,446	$43,400
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,580 Meal plan: $6,858	Room/dormitory: $7,956 Meal plan: $4,916
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $32,845	100.0% Average amount $33,693
Students receiving federal student loan	51.0% Average amount $5,473	63.0% Average amount $5,416
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $10,195	11.0% Average amount $15,132

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,941 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%	2,507 Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
Graduate students	4,068 Men 31.4% Women 68.6%	417 Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	11.6%	52.5%
International students	2.6%	6.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	3,025	2,033
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Georgia Florida Alabama South Carolina Tennessee	Indiana Illinois Michigan Wisconsin Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Legal Profession Psychology	Health Professions Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Education
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.6%	74.5%
Dropout rate	4.8%	25.4%
Transferred out	21.2%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $94,025 Year 2: $117,572 Year 3: $120,200 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,690 Year 2: $74,576 Year 3: $73,522 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,015 Year 2: $65,089 Year 3: $70,796 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,962 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $70,724 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,617 Year 2: $59,485 Year 3: $68,143 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,126 Year 2: $62,934 Year 3: $62,049 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $42,790 Year 2: $45,902 Year 3: $55,968 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,691 Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $54,471 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,272 Year 2: $50,231 Year 3: $53,238 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $50,613

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