Mercyhurst College vs. PAFA

Should I go to Mercyhurst College or Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Mercyhurst College or PAFA 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. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts comparison
Mercyhurst College Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts College 3 College 4
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
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Overview

Mercyhurst College PAFA
Location Erie, PA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 2,801 172
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mercyhurst.edu pafa.org
Team Colors                    

Costs

Mercyhurst College PAFA
Tuition (In State) $40,530 $40,500
Tuition (Out of State) $40,530 $40,500
Room & Board $14,025 $17,512
Avg Net Price $24,935 $48,191
Avg Grant Aid $32,418 $16,087
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 80%

Admission

Mercyhurst College PAFA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,625 183
Admitted 2,920 167
Acceptance Rate 80.6% 91.3%
Enrolled % 18.7% 11.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.36 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

Mercyhurst College PAFA
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (7%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (100%)

Outcomes

Mercyhurst College PAFA
Graduation Rate 68% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,700 $22,000
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,698 $26,500
Median Loan Payment $276 $274

Diversity

Mercyhurst College PAFA
% Men 40% 31%
% Women 60% 69%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 73% 61%
% Black 6% 5%
% Hispanic 2% 7%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 6%
% International 11% 6%
% Unknown Race 4% 7%

Students

Mercyhurst College PAFA
% In-State 51% 53%
% Out-of-State 45% 42%

Campus

Mercyhurst College PAFA
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 PAFA based on total student enrollment (2,801 students vs. 172 students)

Mercyhurst College vs. PAFA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mercyhurst College or PAFA?

  • Mercyhurst College is 0.1% more expensive to attend than PAFA for in-state tuition ($40,530.00 vs. $40,500.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.1% higher at Mercyhurst College than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($40,530.00 vs. $40,500.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Mercyhurst College than PAFA ($24,935 vs. $48,191)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mercyhurst College are 24.9% lower than costs at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($14,025 vs. $17,512)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mercyhurst College than Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (95% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercyhurst College students is 101.5% larger than aid received Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($32,418 vs. $16,087)

Mercyhurst College vs. PAFA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • PAFA has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than Mercyhurst College (80.6%)

Mercyhurst College vs. PAFA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at PAFA is higher than Mercyhurst College (73% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from Mercyhurst College earn on average $21,700 more per year than PAFA graduates after ten years. ($43,700 vs. $22,000)
  • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts students graduate with a $198 lower median federal student loan debt than Mercyhurst College graduates. ($26,500 vs. $26,698)
  • PAFA graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Mercyhurst College graduates. ($274 vs. $276)
  • More PAFA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mercyhurst College students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 56%)

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