SHMS vs. Mercyhurst College

Should I go to Sacred Heart Major Seminary or Mercyhurst College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SHMS or Mercyhurst 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

DePaul Gannon University Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Kent State University at East Liverpool W&J Wright State University-Lake Campus Seton Hill University EIU PennWest Edinboro RU Neumann Stevenson University
Sacred Heart Major Seminary vs. Mercyhurst College comparison
Sacred Heart Major Seminary Mercyhurst College College 3 College 4
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 SHMS Mercyhurst College
Location Detroit, MI Erie, PA
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 357 2,668
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website shms.edu mercyhurst.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SHMS Mercyhurst College
Tuition (In State) $25,440 $41,580
Tuition (Out of State) $25,440 $41,580
Room & Board $12,015 $14,274
Avg Net Price $10,371 $26,962
Avg Grant Aid $29,095 $31,437
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 99%

Admission

 SHMS Mercyhurst College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4 3,500
Admitted 4 2,913
Acceptance Rate 100% 83.2%
Enrolled % 50% 19.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.36
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
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 15, 2026

Academics

 SHMS Mercyhurst College
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Theology and Religious Vvocations (64%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (20%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (16%)
  • Health Professions (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (7%)
  • General Studies (5%)

Outcomes

 SHMS Mercyhurst College
Graduation Rate - 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $43,700
Making Student Loan Payments - 56%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $26,698
Median Loan Payment N/A $276

Diversity

 SHMS Mercyhurst College
% Men 41% 5%
% Women 6% 9%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 51% 73%
% Black 1% 6%
% Hispanic 19% 2%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 1%
% International 9% 11%
% Unknown Race 19% 4%

Students

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

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Mercyhurst College is larger than than SHMS based on total student enrollment (2,668 students vs. 357 students)

SHMS vs. Mercyhurst College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHMS or Mercyhurst College?

  • Mercyhurst College is 63.4% more expensive to attend than SHMS for in-state tuition ($41,580.00 vs. $25,440.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 63.4% higher at Mercyhurst College than Sacred Heart Major Seminary ($41,580.00 vs. $25,440.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Sacred Heart Major Seminary than Mercyhurst College ($10,371 vs. $26,962)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Sacred Heart Major Seminary are 18.8% lower than costs at Mercyhurst College ($12,015 vs. $14,274)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mercyhurst College than Sacred Heart Major Seminary (99% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercyhurst College students is 8% larger than aid received Sacred Heart Major Seminary ($31,437 vs. $29,095)

SHMS vs. Mercyhurst College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman SHMS students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Mercyhurst College (3.36)
  • SHMS has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than Mercyhurst College (83.2%)

SHMS vs. Mercyhurst College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SHMS or Mercyhurst 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 Mercyhurst College and SHMS.

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