National university
#7 Best colleges in GeorgiaMercer University
Macon, GA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $23,847 a year
Median debt at graduation: $24,199 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#91 of 1,046
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#124 of 950
- Best colleges for nursing in America#150 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#162 of 1,132
- Best colleges for marketing in America#130 of 834
- Best colleges for business in America#258 of 1,563
Show 17 more
- Best colleges for education in America#220 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#214 of 1,238
- Best colleges for finance in America#136 of 744
- Best colleges for psychology in America#281 of 1,418
- Best colleges in America#368 of 1,829
- Best colleges for English in America#265 of 1,283
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#284 of 1,358
- Best test-optional colleges in America#322 of 1,481
- Best colleges for art and design in America#264 of 1,187
- Best colleges for history in America#278 of 1,247
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#409 of 1,829
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#278 of 1,215
- Best mid-size colleges in America#153 of 667
- Best colleges for music in America#258 of 1,063
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#284 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#275 of 1,116
- Colleges where Pell Grant students thrive in America#39 of 154
In Georgia
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Georgia#2 of 39
- Best colleges for nursing in Georgia#2 of 37
- Best colleges for marketing in Georgia#2 of 26
- Best colleges for accounting in Georgia#3 of 38
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Georgia#4 of 38
- Best colleges for business in Georgia#6 of 57
Show 18 more
- Best mid-size colleges in Georgia#3 of 28
- Best colleges for education in Georgia#5 of 43
- Best colleges in Georgia#7 of 60
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Georgia#7 of 60
- Best colleges for finance in Georgia#2 of 17
- Best test-optional colleges in Georgia#5 of 42
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Georgia#4 of 31
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Georgia#7 of 49
- Best colleges for English in Georgia#6 of 41
- Best colleges for psychology in Georgia#7 of 46
- Best colleges for history in Georgia#7 of 43
- Best colleges for music in Georgia#6 of 33
- Best colleges for mathematics in Georgia#7 of 37
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Georgia#6 of 31
- Best colleges for chemistry in Georgia#7 of 33
- Best colleges for art and design in Georgia#7 of 32
- Best colleges for computer science in Georgia#3 of 12
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Georgia#3 of 9
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.70%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.82%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,271 · ACT 28
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.11 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$14,074
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $58,204 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 4,807 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 35% · Women 65% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 28% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 13% |
| Total students | 9,124 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $23,847 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $58,204 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $24,199 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 70% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 55% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 55% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 47% |
| First-year retention | 82% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $58,354 |
| Admission rate | 69% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $50 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,158 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 35% |
| Average SAT | 1271 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 590–680 |
| SAT math | 570–670 |
| ACT composite | 25–31 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Engineering (general) | |
| Nursing | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Business (general) | |
| Business administration | |
| Accounting | |
| Marketing | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Human resources | |
| Finance | |
| Chemistry | |
| Public health | |
| Political science | |
| Biology | |
| Romance languages | |
| Journalism | |
| Communication studies | |
| Psychology | |
| Teacher education | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Music | |
| Human services |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Biochemistry, Civil engineering, Classics, Computational Science, Computer science, Criminology, Design, Economics, Engineering-Related Fields, English, Entrepreneurship, Ethnic and gender studies, Fine arts, German, Global studies, Health administration, History, Homeland Security, Information science, Information technology, Interdisciplinary studies, International business, International relations, Kinesiology and exercise science, Management information systems, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Philosophy, Physics, Pre-health, Pre-law and legal studies, Programming, Public Policy Analysis, Public relations, Religious studies, Secondary education, Social sciences, Sociology, Statistics, Theatre, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Health professions | |
| Business | |
| Biology | |
| Engineering | |
| Education |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 11% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 23% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $15,156 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Southern Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 11 to 1 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 98%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $60,691IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 67% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)About 72 miles away · about 1 hour 30 minutes by car |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | AtlantaAbout 78 miles away · about 1 hour 45 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 48°F in January · 83°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Macon Middle Ga Regional Airport, GA, about 10 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.43 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.03 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.19 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Mercer University’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 20% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Mercer University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $23,847 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Mercer University?
- Mercer University admitted 69% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Mercer University’s graduates do?
- 70% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $58,354; the median federal debt at graduation is $24,199.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 140447
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
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