Mercer University

Mercer University logo
#1069 / #307
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#1052
Most Desirable School
Private university in Macon, Georgia

Mercer University at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#307
Acceptance rate (fall 2024)
69%
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$43,570
Graduation rate
72%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
4,500

Reviewed by , Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error

Mercer University Featured Rankings

About Mercer University

According to Wikipedia, Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 students in 12 colleges and schools. Mercer is a member of the Georgia Research Alliance. It is classified as a "R2: Doctoral Universities — High research activity".

Mercer University's Online Degrees

MBA in Business
Degree Concentrations
  • Mba
  • Required Credits: 36
  • Completion Time: 12-18 months
  • Format: Fully online
BBA in Business
Degree Concentrations
  • Accounting
  • General Business
  • Human Resources
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Required Credits: 120
  • Completion Time: 48 months
  • Format: Fully online
BS in Business
Degree Concentrations
  • Human Services
  • Information Technology & Informatics
  • Required Credits: 120
  • Completion Time: 48 months
  • Format: Fully online
MSE in Technology
Degree Concentrations
  • Software Engineering
  • Required Credits: 30
  • Completion Time: 12-18 months
  • Format: Fully online
MS in Technology
Degree Concentrations
  • Software Systems
  • Technical Communication Management
  • Required Credits: 30
  • Completion Time: 12-18 months
  • Format: Fully online
BS in Technology
Degree Concentrations
  • Software Application Development & Human Computer Interaction
  • Required Credits: 120
  • Completion Time: 48 months
  • Format: Fully online
MS in Social Science
Degree Concentrations
  • Criminal Justice & Public Safety Leadership
  • Required Credits: 30
  • Completion Time: 16 months
  • Format: Fully online
BS in Emergency Services
Degree Concentrations
  • Homeland Security & Emergency Management
  • Required Credits: 120
  • Completion Time: 48 months
  • Format: Fully online
BS in Social Science
Degree Concentrations
  • Criminal Justice Leadership
  • Family Services - Human Services
  • Gerontology Services - Human Services
  • Social Services - Human Services
  • Substance Abuse Services - Human Services
  • Psychology
  • Required Credits: 120
  • Completion Time: 48 months
  • Format: Fully online
Endorsement in Education
Degree Concentrations
  • Coaching
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • English To Speakers Of Other Languages
  • Gifted In-Field
  • K-5 Math Endorsement
  • Reading
  • Stem
  • Required Credits: 6
  • Completion Time: 6 months
  • Format: Fully online
M Ed in Education
Degree Concentrations
  • Elementary Education
  • Middle Grades Education
  • Secondary Education
  • Required Credits: 30
  • Completion Time: 12-16 months
  • Format: Fully online
Ed S in Education
Degree Concentrations
  • Elementary Education
  • Required Credits: 31
  • Completion Time: 16-24 months
  • Format: Fully online
MA in Theology
Degree Concentrations
  • Christian Ministry
  • Required Credits: 38
  • Completion Time: 36 months
  • Format: Fully online
BA in Humanities
Degree Concentrations
  • Communication
  • Organizational Communication - Communication
  • Public Relations - Communication
  • Required Credits: 120
  • Completion Time: 48 months
  • Format: Fully online
Certificate in Medical
Degree Concentrations
  • Health Informatics
  • Required Credits: 12
  • Completion Time: 6-9 months
  • Format: Fully online
MS in Medical
Degree Concentrations
  • Health Informatics
  • Health Outcomes
  • Required Credits: 30
  • Completion Time: 18 months
  • Format: Fully online
BSN in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
  • Rn To Bsn
  • Required Credits: 32
  • Completion Time: 18-24 months
Ph D in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
  • Nursing
  • Required Credits: 58
  • Completion Time: 18-24 months
  • Format: Fully online
BS in Medical
Degree Concentrations
  • Health Informatics
  • Mental Health Services - Human Services
  • Required Credits: 120
  • Completion Time: 48 months
  • Format: Fully online
Certificate in Science
Degree Concentrations
  • Technical Communication Management
  • Required Credits: 30
  • Completion Time: 12-16 months
  • Format: Fully online

Mercer University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceRetention RateGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
11,05869%82%72%125528

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.

How Much Does Mercer University Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$43,570
Average Net Price by Family Income (2021–22)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$18,845
30K - 48K$21,273
48K - 75K$22,137
75K - 110K$24,117
110K+$27,667

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.

How Much Do Mercer University Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former Mercer University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $63,469 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.

Mercer University's Demographics

Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
10,1235,2184,905

Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.

Where is Mercer University?

Mercer University is located at 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA 31207.

How Safe is Mercer University?

Relative to its enrollment, Mercer University has a violent crime rate of 0.17% and a property crime rate of 0.09%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).

What Is Mercer University Known For?

Mercer University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:

Mercer University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much Mercer University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence

Nursing
#259
World Rank
#261
Historical Rank
#110
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #110 in the U.S. and #259 worldwide for influence in Nursing.

nursing Degrees
Medical
#652
World Rank
#661
Historical Rank
#195
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #195 in the U.S. and #652 worldwide for influence in Medical.

medicine Degrees
Philosophy
#668
World Rank
#704
Historical Rank
#199
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #199 in the U.S. and #668 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.

philosophy Degrees
Law
#627
World Rank
#611
Historical Rank
#202
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #202 in the U.S. and #627 worldwide for influence in Law.

Religious Studies
#902
World Rank
#826
Historical Rank
#207
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #207 in the U.S. and #902 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.

religious-studies-hub Degrees
Psychology
#580
World Rank
#596
Historical Rank
#244
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #244 in the U.S. and #580 worldwide for influence in Psychology.

psychology Degrees
Education
#1025
World Rank
#721
Historical Rank
#251
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #251 in the U.S. and #1025 worldwide for influence in Education.

education Degrees
Business
#952
World Rank
#953
Historical Rank
#281
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #281 in the U.S. and #952 worldwide for influence in Business.

business Degrees
Engineering
#1819
World Rank
#1837
Historical Rank
#302
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #302 in the U.S. and #1819 worldwide for influence in Engineering.

engineering Degrees
Chemistry
#1633
World Rank
#1654
Historical Rank
#313
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #313 in the U.S. and #1633 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.

chemistry Degrees
Literature
#957
World Rank
#1011
Historical Rank
#320
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #320 in the U.S. and #957 worldwide for influence in Literature.

literature Degrees
Economics
#1857
World Rank
#1866
Historical Rank
#324
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #324 in the U.S. and #1857 worldwide for influence in Economics.

economics Degrees
Criminal Justice
#587
World Rank
#591
Historical Rank
#334
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #334 in the U.S. and #587 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.

criminal-justice Degrees
History
#1025
World Rank
#1041
Historical Rank
#365
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #365 in the U.S. and #1025 worldwide for influence in History.

history Degrees
Mathematics
#1781
World Rank
#1834
Historical Rank
#420
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #420 in the U.S. and #1781 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.

math Degrees
Communications
#1724
World Rank
#1655
Historical Rank
#471
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #471 in the U.S. and #1724 worldwide for influence in Communications.

communications Degrees
Anthropology
#1543
World Rank
#1554
Historical Rank
#503
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #503 in the U.S. and #1543 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.

anthropology Degrees
Political Science
#2113
World Rank
#2121
Historical Rank
#509
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #509 in the U.S. and #2113 worldwide for influence in Political Science.

political-science Degrees
Sociology
#1754
World Rank
#1761
Historical Rank
#510
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #510 in the U.S. and #1754 worldwide for influence in Sociology.

sociology Degrees
Physics
#2314
World Rank
#2344
Historical Rank
#523
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #523 in the U.S. and #2314 worldwide for influence in Physics.

physics Degrees
Social Work
#1276
World Rank
#1277
Historical Rank
#526
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #526 in the U.S. and #1276 worldwide for influence in Social Work.

social-work Degrees
Computer Science
#2472
World Rank
#2480
Historical Rank
#540
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #540 in the U.S. and #2472 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.

computer-science Degrees
Biology
#2481
World Rank
#2508
Historical Rank
#574
USA Rank

Mercer University ranks #574 in the U.S. and #2481 worldwide for influence in Biology.

biology Degrees

Who Are Mercer University's Most Influential Alumni?

Mercer University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Criminal Justice, and Psychology. Here are some of Mercer University's most famous alumni:

William Heard Kilpatrick
An American pedagogue.
James Rachels
An American philosopher.
Ellis Paul Torrance
An American psychologist.
Bruce Yandle
An American economist.
Thomas E. Watson
An American politician, attorney, newspaper editor and writer.
Charles Frankel
An American philosopher.
Lyman Ray Patterson
An American academic.
Nancy Grace
Nancy Grace
An American legal commentator, television host, television journalist, and former prosecutor.
Nathan Deal
A 82nd governor of Georgia from 2011 to 2019.
M. Brian Blake
M. Brian Blake
An American computer scientist.
Brainerd Currie
An American legal academic.
Michael G. Santos
Michael G. Santos
An American prison reform activist.

Who Are Mercer University's Most Influential Faculty?

Mercer University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Nursing, Criminal Justice, and Psychology. Here are some of Mercer University's most famous faculty:

Adam Ragusea
An American culinary YouTuber.
Manoj Prasad
An Indian plant geneticist.
Chanequa Walker-Barnes
A Professor of practical theology.