Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Columbia International University

Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Columbia International University comparison

	Gwynedd Mercy College	Columbia International University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Gwynedd Mercy College	Columbia International University
Location	Gwynedd Valley, PA	Columbia, SC
Setting	Large Suburban	Midsize City
Enrollment	2,165	2,631
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#510	#867
Religious Affiliation	Roman Catholic	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	gmc.edu	ciu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Gwynedd Mercy College	Columbia International University
Tuition (In State)	$37,140	$26,700
Tuition (Out of State)	$37,140	$26,700
Room & Board	$14,142	$11,950
Avg Net Price	$26,733	$21,320
Avg Grant Aid	$25,995	$18,883
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	96%

Admission	Gwynedd Mercy College	Columbia International University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,111	372
Admitted	1,040	363
Acceptance Rate	93.6%	97.6%
Enrolled %	17.7%	32%
Avg High School GPA	3.34	3.5
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Easy	Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range		16/25
SAT Range	1048/1180	990/1195
Submit Test Scores	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)	Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline	Aug 20, 2025	Aug 1, 2025

Academics	Gwynedd Mercy College	Columbia International University
Student to Faculty Ratio	9:1	13:1
Popular Majors	Health Professions (46%) Business (33%) Education (10%) Biology (2%) Psychology (2%)	Theology and Religious Vvocations (69%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%) Psychology (7%) General Studies (6%) Communication (3%)
Outcomes	Gwynedd Mercy College	Columbia International University
Graduation Rate	52%	57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$56,600	$33,400
Making Student Loan Payments	63%	63%
Median Student Loan Debt	$25,000	$21,500
Median Loan Payment	$258	$222

Diversity	Gwynedd Mercy College	Columbia International University
% Men	7%	28%
% Women	25%	37%
Racial Diversity	High	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	57%	72%
% Black	23%	10%
% Hispanic	5%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	0%	2%
% International	0%	4%
% Unknown Race	10%	6%

Students	Gwynedd Mercy College	Columbia International University
% In-State	80%	57%
% Out-of-State	20%	41%
Campus	Gwynedd Mercy College	Columbia International University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	No
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Columbia International University is larger than than Gwynedd Mercy College based on total student enrollment (2,631 students vs. 2,165 students)

Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Columbia International University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Gwynedd Mercy College or Columbia International University?

• Gwynedd Mercy College is 39.1% more expensive to attend than Columbia International University for in-state tuition ($37,140.00 vs. $26,700.00)
• Out of state tuition is 39.1% higher at Gwynedd Mercy College than Columbia International University ($37,140.00 vs. $26,700.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia International University than Gwynedd Mercy College ($21,320 vs. $26,733)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia International University are 18.3% lower than costs at Gwynedd Mercy College ($11,950 vs. $14,142)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Gwynedd Mercy College than Columbia International University (100% vs. 96%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Gwynedd Mercy College students is 37.7% larger than aid received Columbia International University ($25,995 vs. $18,883)

Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Columbia International University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Columbia International University (1045) is 121 points higher than at Gwynedd Mercy College (924)
• Incoming Columbia International University students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Gwynedd Mercy College (20)
• Accepted freshman Columbia International University students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Gwynedd Mercy College (3.34)
• Columbia International University has a higher acceptance rate (97.6%) than Gwynedd Mercy College (93.6%)

Gwynedd Mercy College vs. Columbia International University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Gwynedd Mercy College or Columbia International University? 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 Columbia International University and Gwynedd Mercy College.

• The graduation rate at Columbia International University is higher than Gwynedd Mercy College (57% vs. 52%)
• Graduates from Gwynedd Mercy College earn on average $23,200 more per year than Columbia International University graduates after ten years. ($56,600 vs. $33,400)
• Columbia International University students graduate with a $3,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Gwynedd Mercy College graduates. ($21,500 vs. $25,000)
• Columbia International University graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than Gwynedd Mercy College graduates. ($222 vs. $258)
• More Columbia International University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Gwynedd Mercy College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 63%)

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