Mercy College of Health Sciences

Des Moines, IA · MidwestQuad's selectivityOpen

Known forTest-optional heavy

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

10 in 10 applicants admitted

Mercy College of Health Sciences admits about 10 in 10 applicants (100%). That puts it in the "Open" tier, more selective than 3% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

100%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityOpen

Applied

679

Admitted

677

Yield

26%

of admits enroll

ACT middle 50%

16–21

1236

Applications 60 → 679 since fall 2014 · admit rate 97% → 100%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A small campus of 867 undergrads, where 34% receive Pell Grants, a typical share compared to other colleges.

867

undergrads · larger than 33% of colleges

Diversity index

0.55

Pell Grant

34%

about the median

First generation

35%

about the median

Midsize cityNo college housing

More diverse · index 0.21 → 0.55 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (96% of graduates). 7 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 92% of colleges. 39% of faculty are full-time. Spends $9,862 a year on instruction per student.

7 to 1

students per faculty member · fewer than at 92% of colleges

What it costs

What students pay, price by family income, debt, and who gets grants.

$28.3K

net price per year for first-years with grants

Full price: $34,398 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Little need-based aid above $110K; aid thins out for families above that income
Merit aid: Little or none; under 2% of first-years got a grant without federal aid

Federal loans

63%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $62,234 ten years after enrolling, more than at 72% of colleges; 74% graduate within six years.

74%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$62.2K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$14.7K

≈ $156/month for 10 years

Retention

69%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 41% → 66% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Applications
60 → 679
Selectivity
97% → 100%
Diversity
More diverse
index 0.21 → 0.55

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

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98% admit · SAT 1025 · 1K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso Midwest

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Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University

99% admit · 821 undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso private

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Rochester Christian University

98% admit · 792 undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso Midwest

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Columbia International University

94% admit · 716 undergrads

Similar sizeAlso private

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Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
Mercy College of Health Sciences (2026)
Mercy College of Health Sciences · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 153977 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything