Quad

Head-to-head

Arcadia
U. Detroit Mercy

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. Detroit Mercy costs about $10.5K less per year on average than Arcadia ($22,157 vs. $32,686, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    U. Detroit Mercy grads earn $12.7K more ten years out than Arcadia's ($71,030 vs. $58,336)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  3. 3

    U. Detroit Mercy's yield is 6 pts higher than Arcadia's

    Yield rate
  4. 4

    U. Detroit Mercy graduates 5 pts more of its students than Arcadia (68% vs. 63%)

    Graduation rate
  5. 5

    U. Detroit Mercy is a bit larger (2,438 vs. 1,948)

    Undergrads
  6. 6

    Arcadia is more diverse (index 0.65 vs. 0.63)

    Diversity index

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%, Arcadia 80%; U. Detroit Mercy's yield is higher, at 13%.

Acceptance rate
Arcadia80%
U. Detroit Mercy75%
Quad's selectivity
  • ArcadiaAccessible
  • U. Detroit MercyAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
Arcadia
1065–1265
U. Detroit Mercy
1030–1260
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • ArcadiaSchool record and prep program required
  • U. Detroit MercyGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

U. Detroit Mercy is a bit larger than Arcadia (2,438 vs. 1,948 undergrads); Arcadia has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Arcadia1.9K
U. Detroit Mercy2.4K
Pell Grant share
Arcadia28%
U. Detroit Mercy26%

Majors and faculty

Biology/Biological Sciences leads at Arcadia, and Engineering at U. Detroit Mercy; Arcadia has 10 students per faculty member to U. Detroit Mercy's 12.

Students per faculty member
Arcadia10 to 1
U. Detroit Mercy12 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • ArcadiaBiology/Biological Sciences, General12%
  • U. Detroit MercyEngineering, General43%

What each costs

U. Detroit Mercy costs about $10.5K less a year than Arcadia on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Arcadia$32.7K
U. Detroit Mercy$22.2K
Aid generosity
Arcadia51%
U. Detroit Mercy53%

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
Arcadia$58.3K
U. Detroit Mercy$71K
Graduation rate
Arcadia63%
U. Detroit Mercy68%

How each has changed

Applications grew at U. Detroit Mercy but held steady at Arcadia; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • ArcadiaSteady+5%
  • U. Detroit MercyGrowing+82%
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