Mercer University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Mercer University, a private college in Georgia, reports a 69% acceptance rate and sits in the moderately selective band. In practice that means it admits more applicants than it rejects, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Mercer University weighs, where it ranks among Georgia schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1310, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Mercer University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Mercer University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Mercer University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Mercer University?
Your odds at Mercer University are not the same as its 69% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Mercer University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Mercer University hard to get into?
Mercer University is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 69% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Mercer University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Mercer University, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. Mercer University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Mercer University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Mercer University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Mercer University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1260 SAT?
About 87% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1260 SAT, the middle of Mercer University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1350 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/mercer-university.
How to get into Mercer University
Built from Mercer University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Mercer University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Mercer University carries about a 3.24 core GPA and a 1300 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1160 to 1350 SAT (25 to 31 ACT). Submit a score at 1255 or higher; below 1160, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Mercer University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Mercer University's exact dates at www.mercer.edu.
How many students apply to Mercer University, and how many get in?
Mercer University admitted 7,349 of the 11,058 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 66.5%. 1,015 enrolled. Only about 14% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Mercer University enrolls about 4,500 undergraduates in total, 65% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 11 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Mercer University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Mercer University scored between 1160 and 1350 on the SAT (average 1271). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 25 to 31. A score above 1350 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1160 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Mercer University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Mercer University looks for
What Mercer University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Mercer University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Mercer University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Mercer University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Mercer University cost after financial aid?
Mercer University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $58,204 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $42,312. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $23,847 a year, and it ranges from $19,817 for families earning under $30,000 to $26,770 for families earning over $110,000. 35% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Mercer University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Mercer University student who received federal aid earns $58,354 a year, up from $50,231 at six years. 70% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 82% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $24,199; 62% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Mercer University compares in Georgia
Mercer University ranks #18 most selective of 35 schools in Georgia in our database.
Among the 35 Georgia schools we track, Mercer University ranks #18 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Emory University (11%) and Georgia Tech (14%) sit nearby, which makes Georgia a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Mercer University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Mercer University often weigh Chowan University, Gordon College, and Ithaca College, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mercer University's acceptance rate?
Mercer University admitted 7,349 of 11,058 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 66.5% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 14% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Mercer University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1160 to 1350 on the SAT and 25 to 31 on the ACT. A score above 1350 is in the top quarter of admits. Mercer University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Mercer University test-optional?
Yes. Mercer University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Mercer University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Mercer University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $23,847 a year against a sticker price of about $58,204. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $19,817 on average.
What do Mercer University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Mercer University are $58,354 a year among students who received federal aid, and 70% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Mercer University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Mercer University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Mercer University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Mercer University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Mercer University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Mercer University specifically.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.