Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Erie, PA Center Valley, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,801 888
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mercyhurst.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $40,530 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $40,530 $24,318
Room & Board $14,025 $12,984
Avg Net Price $24,935 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $32,418 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 78%

Admission

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,625 1,806
Admitted 2,920 1,699
Acceptance Rate 80.6% 94.1%
Enrolled % 18.7% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.36 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/26
SAT Range 1100/1290
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (7%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 68% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,698 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $276 $277

Diversity

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Lehigh Valley
% Men 40% 57%
% Women 60% 43%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 73% 64%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 2% 16%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 11% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 Mercyhurst College Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 51% 93%
% Out-of-State 45% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Mercyhurst College is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (2,801 students vs. 888 students)

Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mercyhurst College or Penn State Lehigh Valley?

  • Mercyhurst College is 177.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($40,530.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 66.7% higher at Mercyhurst College than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($40,530.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Mercyhurst College ($18,142 vs. $24,935)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 8% lower than costs at Mercyhurst College ($12,984 vs. $14,025)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mercyhurst College than Penn State Lehigh Valley (95% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercyhurst College students is 227.9% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($32,418 vs. $9,886)

Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Mercyhurst College (3.36)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than Mercyhurst College (80.6%)

Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mercyhurst College or Penn State Lehigh Valley? 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 Penn State Lehigh Valley and Mercyhurst College.

  • The graduation rate at Mercyhurst College is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (68% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn on average $11,600 more per year than Mercyhurst College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,700)
  • Mercyhurst College students graduate with a $120 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($26,698 vs. $26,818)
  • Mercyhurst College graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($276 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mercyhurst College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

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