Mercy vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

 Mercy Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Dobbs Ferry, NY Center Valley, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 8,615 888
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #843
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mercy.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Mercy Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $20,518 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $20,518 $24,318
Room & Board $14,200 $12,984
Avg Net Price $15,879 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $14,789 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 78%

Admission

 Mercy Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,891 1,806
Admitted 6,775 1,699
Acceptance Rate 85.9% 94.1%
Enrolled % 13.7% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.19 3.42
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/25 22/26
SAT Range 1020/1230 1100/1290
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

Academics

 Mercy Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 Mercy Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 31% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 40% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,699 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $245 $277

Diversity

 Mercy Penn State Lehigh Valley
% Men 28% 57%
% Women 72% 43%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 27% 64%
% Black 23% 6%
% Hispanic 35% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

 Mercy Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 88% 93%
% Out-of-State 9% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Mercy College is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (8,615 students vs. 888 students)

Mercy vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

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

  • Mercy College is 40.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($20,518.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.5% higher at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Mercy College ($24,318.00 vs. $20,518.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Mercy College than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($15,879 vs. $18,142)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 9.4% lower than costs at Mercy College ($12,984 vs. $14,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mercy College than Penn State Lehigh Valley (97% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercy College students is 49.6% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($14,789 vs. $9,886)

Mercy vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Mercy 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 Mercy .

  • Accepted freshman Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Mercy (3.19)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than Mercy (85.9%)

Mercy vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mercy 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 Mercy.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Lehigh Valley is higher than Mercy College (47% vs. 31%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn on average $13,100 more per year than Mercy graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $42,200)
  • Mercy College students graduate with a $3,119 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($23,699 vs. $26,818)
  • Mercy graduates are paying $32 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($245 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mercy students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 40%)

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