10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$185,886at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Mercyhurst University
Erie, PA · 32 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 27 · Federal debt reported for 25
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$185,886 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
35.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−72%Estimated return after 10 years
$52,189Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $12,030 housing and food allowance plus $2,269 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$108,110
$8,000Annual price−$140,110
$16,000Annual price−$172,110
$19,000Current college-wide context−$184,110
$24,000Annual price−$204,110
$32,000Annual price−$236,110
$40,000Annual price−$268,110
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students study without distance-education courses.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
56 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Pennsylvania run 2% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$19,444Average net price / year
$59,557Cost of attendance
$25,305Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$268/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$52,189Median earnings · year 5 after completion
60.2%Completion rate
81.0%Admission rate
2,191Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Mercyhurst University
What does Mercyhurst University cost?
Mercyhurst University reports an average annual net price of $19,444 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Mercyhurst University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $52,189 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Mercyhurst University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $25,305. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Mercyhurst University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 32 field-and-degree records for Mercyhurst University; 27 report year-4 earnings and 25 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
2,806Students enrolled at any point
2,424Undergraduate students
382Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
57% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
447 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
46% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$38,837Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$49,240Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$54,547Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income38%
Middle income55%
Higher income75%
Undergraduate student composition
White73%
Black7%
Hispanic6%
Asian2%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$39,521Year 1
$57,293Year 4
$52,189Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Master's Degree$124,3782Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations · Master's Degree$107,2543Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations · Bachelor's Degree$86,5974Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$86,5965Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General · Bachelor's Degree$83,8126Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$77,8647Political Science and Government · Bachelor's Degree$76,1548Marketing · Bachelor's Degree$74,187Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $83,812 reported+37%vs same-degree national median$26,000federal debt2Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's Degree · $76,154 reported+20%vs same-degree national median$25,000federal debt3Intelligence, Command Control and Information OperationsBachelor's Degree · $86,597 reported+14%vs same-degree national median$25,625federal debt4Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree · $86,596 reported+14%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Biology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $65,000 reported+14%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt6MarketingBachelor's Degree · $74,187 reported+7%vs same-degree national median$26,000federal debt
Comparable colleges in PA
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Williamsport, PA
Lycoming College
- Annual net price
- $19,140
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,116
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -68%
Westminster College
- Annual net price
- $19,859
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,025
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -69%
Rosedale Technical College
- Annual net price
- $19,760
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,528
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -79%
Rosemont College
- Annual net price
- $20,150
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $54,584
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -63%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 32 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's Degree | $124,378 | Not available | Not reported |
| Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations | Master's Degree | $107,254 | Not available | Not reported |
| Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $86,597 | $25,625 | 2 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $86,596 | Not available | 0 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $83,812 | $26,000 | 2 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $77,864 | $36,000 | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $76,154 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $74,187 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $72,411 | $26,000 | 1 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $65,000 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $63,128 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $61,066 | $26,950 | 0 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $58,112 | Not available | Not reported |
| Security Science and Technology | Bachelor's Degree | $55,665 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $54,902 | $26,000 | 0 |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $54,182 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Bachelor's Degree | $53,812 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $51,575 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $50,399 | Not available | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Bachelor's Degree | $49,638 | $27,000 | 1 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $47,652 | $26,000 | 2 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $45,411 | $27,000 | 0 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate's Degree | $45,013 | $28,332 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $43,694 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $42,983 | $12,547 | Not reported |
| Dance | Bachelor's Degree | $41,049 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $40,802 | $12,000 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | Not available | $12,000 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $26,000 | 0 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $25,500 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $45,660 | Not reported |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $25,000 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.