Mercy College of Health Sciences
Des Moines, IA 50309-1239
About Mercy College of Health Sciences
Mercy College of Health Sciences is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa, enrolling about 867 students. Admission is moderately selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 99.71% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $62,234 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Mercy College of Health Sciences charges 40% below the national private non-profit median tuition ($17,664).
- Versus the Iowa median, sticker tuition is 13% below.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 65.52%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $62,234.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Mercy College of Health Sciences is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 478% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy College of Health Sciences | $17,664 | $26,924 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Iowa (state median) | $20,270 | $11,272 | 49 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,135 | $18,048 | 684 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Mercy College of Health Sciences really?
Key findings
- Mercy College of Health Sciences charges 40% below the national private non-profit median tuition ($17,664).
- Versus the Iowa median, sticker tuition is 13% below.
Mercy College of Health Sciences tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $17,664
Finding Mercy College of Health Sciences charges 40% below the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $17,664. That is 40% below the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Iowa median ($20,270), sticker tuition is 13% below. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 48% above.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Mercy College of Health Sciences versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Mercy College of Health Sciences versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Mercy College of Health Sciences is $26,924.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $26,924 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $15,652 above the Iowa median net price. Versus suburban campuses, net price runs $8,876 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At Mercy College of Health Sciences, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
Mercy College of Health Sciences: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Mercy College of Health Sciences—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$17,664
Avg. net price
$26,924
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $24,171 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $27,533 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $29,193 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $26,615 |
| $110,001+ | $29,953 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $70,656. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Mercy College of Health Sciences is known for
Top program completions
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse325
- Medical/Clinical Assistant91
- Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)30
- 05.109116
- Health/Health Care Administration/Management11
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 49% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 980
- Midpoint ACT: 20
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Mercy College of Health Sciences a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Mercy College of Health Sciences is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Mercy College of Health Sciences.
Campus
Location
Des Moines, IA
City / state
- ZIP
- 50309-1239
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, net price is 49% above the median for Suburban campuses ($18,048 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Plains
- Carnegie
- Special Focus Four-Year: Business and Management
Size
Enrollment
867
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 1,279
- Graduate
- 2
- Full-time share
- 39%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$14,745
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 33.92%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Mercy College of Health Sciences.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Mercy College of Health Sciences was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Mercy College of Health Sciences in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $15,040 | $15,040 | $18,527 |
| 2014 | $15,642 | $15,642 | $19,631 |
| 2015 | $16,268 | $16,268 | $20,844 |
| 2016 | $16,920 | $16,920 | $22,084 |
| 2017 | $17,600 | $17,600 | $21,122 |
| 2018 | $17,952 | $17,952 | $19,941 |
| 2019 | $18,150 | $18,150 | $21,989 |
| 2020 | $18,332 | $18,332 | $23,737 |
| 2021 | $19,754 | $19,754 | $21,699 |
| 2022 | $16,632 | $16,632 | $24,354 |
| 2023 | $17,328 | $17,328 | $23,417 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution has a moderate acceptance rate, accepting most qualified applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 980 (middle 50% not reported)
Midpoint 20 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 3.20
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Mercy College of Health Sciences reported total enrollment of about 867 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 13% male and 87% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (64.2%), Hispanic or Latino (13.6%), and Black or African American (12.2%). About 33.92% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 34.6% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
39.2% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Mercy College of Health Sciences in 2024 is 867 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 1,279 students. Graduate enrollment is about 2 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
69.2%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
66.67% 100% Completion Time
65.52% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 66.67% of students graduating from Mercy College of Health Sciences completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse: 13% male / 87% female
- Medical/Clinical Assistant: 2% male / 98% female
- Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic): 77% male / 23% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Mercy College of Health Sciences graduates earn a median of $62,234 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Mercy College of Health Sciences.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $62,234. Median federal loan debt: $14,745. Average net price used in cost models: $26,924.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Mercy College of Health Sciences graduates report median earnings of $62,234 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Mercy College of Health Sciences.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (11 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Mercy College of Health Sciences.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Mercy College of Health Sciences graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Mercy College of Health Sciences—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$11.1M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Iowa median 0.30× the median ($36.3M)
- Plains median 0.46× the median ($24.1M)
- U.S. median 0.42× the median ($26.4M)
- Iowa median 0.40× the median ($28,406)
- Plains median 0.75× the median ($15,020)
- U.S. median 0.94× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 38.6%
- Iowa median 49.0 pp below median (87.6%)
- Plains median 26.1 pp below median (64.7%)
- U.S. median 19.3 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $6,328
- Iowa median 0.90× the median ($7,039)
- Plains median 0.88× the median ($7,194)
- U.S. median 0.83× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $9,862
- Iowa median 1.2× the median ($8,352)
- Plains median 1.2× the median ($8,150)
- U.S. median 1.4× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Mercy College of Health Sciences at a glance
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Mercy College of Health Sciences is a private non-profit institution in Des Moines, IA, classified as Special Focus Four-Year: Business and Management.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Registered Nursing/Registered NurseMedical/Clinical AssistantEmergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian64.2%Hispanic or Latino13.6%Black or African American12.2%
- Opportunity College (2025)
- Higher access & higher earnings · Browse OCU directory
Schools near Mercy College of Health Sciences
Other campuses in Des Moines, IA when available, plus nearby institutions in Iowa.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within Iowa, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Mercy College of Health Sciences located?
Mercy College of Health Sciences is located in Des Moines, IA.
What is Mercy College of Health Sciences's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Mercy College of Health Sciences is 99.7% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 164 applicants and 162 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Mercy College of Health Sciences's tuition?
Mercy College of Health Sciences tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $17,664 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $26,924 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Mercy College of Health Sciences cost?
Reported tuition is $17,664 and average net price is $26,924 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $10,000 annually.
What explains Mercy College of Health Sciences's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($26,924), completion (65.5% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($62,234). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Mercy College of Health Sciences?
Mercy College of Health Sciences reports undergraduate enrollment of about 1,279 students, White (64.2%), Hispanic or Latino (13.6%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Mercy College of Health Sciences?
About 34.6% of students at Mercy College of Health Sciences are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for Mercy College of Health Sciences?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Mercy College of Health Sciences reports midpoint SAT about 980 and midpoint ACT about 20.
What do graduates of Mercy College of Health Sciences earn?
Median earnings are $53,375 six years after entry and $62,234 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Mercy College of Health Sciences?
The 150%-time completion rate is 65.5% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Mercy College of Health Sciences students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $14,745.
Is Mercy College of Health Sciences public or private?
Mercy College of Health Sciences is a private nonprofit institution located in Des Moines, IA.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.