Mercy vs. VSU

Should I go to Mercy College or Virginia State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Mercy or VSU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

NSU Lehman Morgan State Bowie State University RU Monroe College-Main Campus North Carolina Central University Old Dominion Delaware State University Hampton University College of Mount Saint Vincent Manhattanville College
Mercy College vs. Virginia State University comparison
Mercy College Virginia State University College 3 College 4
Mercy College Virginia State University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Mercy VSU
Location Dobbs Ferry, NY Petersburg, VA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 8,615 4,648
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #843 #980
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mercy.edu vsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Mercy VSU
Tuition (In State) $20,518 $5,540
Tuition (Out of State) $20,518 $16,542
Room & Board $14,200 $11,544
Avg Net Price $15,879 $15,773
Avg Grant Aid $14,789 $11,498
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 92%

Admission

 Mercy VSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,891 8,230
Admitted 6,775 7,384
Acceptance Rate 85.9% 89.7%
Enrolled % 13.7% 18.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.19 2.85
Typical High School Grades B B-
Admissions Standards Moderate Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/25 14/17
SAT Range 1020/1230 830/1030
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2024

Academics

 Mercy VSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

 Mercy VSU
Graduation Rate 31% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,200 $36,700
Making Student Loan Payments 40% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,699 $29,500
Median Loan Payment $245 $305

Diversity

 Mercy VSU
% Men 28% 40%
% Women 72% 60%
Racial Diversity Very High Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 27% 3%
% Black 23% 87%
% Hispanic 35% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 0%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 7% 7%

Students

 Mercy VSU
% In-State 88% 72%
% Out-of-State 9% 27%

Campus

 Mercy VSU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Mercy College is larger than than VSU based on total student enrollment (8,615 students vs. 4,648 students)

Mercy vs. VSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mercy or VSU?

  • Mercy College is 270.4% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($20,518.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 24% higher at Mercy than Virginia State University ($20,518.00 vs. $16,542.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia State University than Mercy ($15,773 vs. $15,879)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia State University are 23% lower than costs at Mercy College ($11,544 vs. $14,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mercy College than Virginia State University (97% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercy College students is 28.6% larger than aid received Virginia State University ($14,789 vs. $11,498)

Mercy vs. VSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Mercy or VSU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between VSU or Mercy .

  • Accepted freshman Mercy students have a 0.34 point higher average high school GPA (3.19) than students at VSU (2.85)
  • VSU has a higher acceptance rate (89.7%) than Mercy (85.9%)

Mercy vs. VSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mercy or VSU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between VSU and Mercy.

  • The graduation rate at VSU is higher than Mercy College (40% vs. 31%)
  • Graduates from Mercy College earn on average $5,500 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($42,200 vs. $36,700)
  • Mercy College students graduate with a $5,801 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($23,699 vs. $29,500)
  • Mercy graduates are paying $60 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($245 vs. $305)
  • More Mercy graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VSU students, three years after graduation. (40% vs. 28%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/