Mercyhurst College vs. Centra College

Should I go to Mercyhurst College or Centra College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Mercyhurst College or Centra College 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.
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Mercyhurst College vs. Centra College comparison
Mercyhurst College Centra College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Mercyhurst College Centra College
Location Erie, PA Lynchburg, VA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 2,801 227
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mercyhurst.edu centrahealth.com
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Mercyhurst College Centra College
Tuition (In State) $40,530 $9,240
Tuition (Out of State) $40,530 $9,240
Room & Board $14,025 $9,406
Avg Net Price $24,935 $28,418
Avg Grant Aid $32,418 $6,495
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 100%

Admission

 Mercyhurst College Centra College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,625 15
Admitted 2,920 6
Acceptance Rate 80.6% 40%
Enrolled % 18.7% 50%
Avg High School GPA 3.36 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Mercyhurst College Centra College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (7%)
  • General Studies (5%)

Outcomes

 Mercyhurst College Centra College
Graduation Rate 68% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,700 $44,800
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,698 $12,042
Median Loan Payment $276 $124

Diversity

 Mercyhurst College Centra College
% Men 40% 13%
% Women 60% 87%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 73% 65%
% Black 6% 35%
% Hispanic 2% 0%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 0%
% International 11% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 0%

Students

 Mercyhurst College Centra College
% In-State 51% 100%
% Out-of-State 45% 0%

Campus

 Mercyhurst College Centra College
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Mercyhurst College is larger than than Centra College based on total student enrollment (2,801 students vs. 227 students)

Mercyhurst College vs. Centra College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mercyhurst College or Centra College?

  • Mercyhurst College is 338.6% more expensive to attend than Centra College for in-state tuition ($40,530.00 vs. $9,240.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 338.6% higher at Mercyhurst College than Centra College ($40,530.00 vs. $9,240.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Mercyhurst College than Centra College ($24,935 vs. $28,418)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Centra College are 49.1% lower than costs at Mercyhurst College ($9,406 vs. $14,025)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Centra College than Mercyhurst College (100% vs. 95%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercyhurst College students is 399.1% larger than aid received Centra College ($32,418 vs. $6,495)

Mercyhurst College vs. Centra College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Mercyhurst College has a higher acceptance rate (80.6%) than Centra College (40%)

Mercyhurst College vs. Centra College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mercyhurst College or Centra College? 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 Centra College and Mercyhurst College.

  • Graduates from Centra College earn on average $1,100 more per year than Mercyhurst College graduates after ten years. ($44,800 vs. $43,700)
  • Centra College students graduate with a $14,656 lower median federal student loan debt than Mercyhurst College graduates. ($12,042 vs. $26,698)
  • Centra College graduates are paying $152 less per month on federal student loans than Mercyhurst College graduates. ($124 vs. $276)
  • More Centra College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mercyhurst College students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 56%)

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