Quad

Head-to-head

U. Detroit Mercy
North Central

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. Detroit Mercy grads earn $10.9K more ten years out than North Central's ($71,030 vs. $60,123)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    U. Detroit Mercy costs about $3.7K less per year on average than North Central ($22,157 vs. $25,906, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    North Central's SAT midpoint is 38 points higher than U. Detroit Mercy's

    SAT midpoint
  4. 4

    North Central's grants cover 57% of its full price on average, vs. 53% at U. Detroit Mercy

    Aid generosity
  5. 5

    U. Detroit Mercy is more diverse (index 0.63 vs. 0.60)

    Diversity index
  6. 6

    U. Detroit Mercy has 2 pts more Pell recipients than North Central (26% vs. 24%)

    Pell Grant recipients

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

U. Detroit Mercy admits 75%, North Central 77%; North Central's yield is higher, at 14%.

Acceptance rate
U. Detroit Mercy75%
North Central77%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. Detroit MercyAccessible
  • North CentralAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
U. Detroit Mercy
1030–1260
North Central
1055–1310
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. Detroit MercyGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • North CentralGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

U. Detroit Mercy and North Central are about the same size; U. Detroit Mercy has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. Detroit Mercy2.4K
North Central2.4K
Pell Grant share
U. Detroit Mercy26%
North Central24%

Majors and faculty

Engineering leads at U. Detroit Mercy, and Psychology at North Central; both have 12 students per faculty member.

Students per faculty member
U. Detroit Mercy12 to 1
North Central12 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. Detroit MercyEngineering, General43%
  • North CentralPsychology, General10%

What each costs

U. Detroit Mercy costs about $3.7K less a year than North Central on average; North Central's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. Detroit Mercy$22.2K
North Central$25.9K
Aid generosity
U. Detroit Mercy53%
North Central57%

What each pays off

U. Detroit Mercy's former students earn more, a median $71K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. Detroit Mercy$71K
North Central$60.1K
Graduation rate
U. Detroit Mercy68%
North Central69%

How each has changed

Applications grew at U. Detroit Mercy but fell at North Central; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. Detroit MercyGrowing+82%
  • North CentralShrinking−21%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why