Buena Vista University vs Mount Mercy University

Buena Vista University and Mount Mercy University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Buena Vista, nestled in the charming town of Storm Lake, Iowa, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a diverse student body from various backgrounds. Mount Mercy, located in the vibrant city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, attracts a slightly smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community. While both universities excel in liberal arts education, Buena Vista is renowned for its strong business and science programs, while Mount Mercy shines in nursing and healthcare fields. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique offerings, including graduation rates, popular majors, and student demographics, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Buena Vista University	Mount Mercy University
Overview
Location	Storm Lake, Iowa	Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Remote	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	78.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.0%	81.0%
Application fees
SAT range	963 - 1140	N/A
ACT range	18 - 25	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	8.0%
Students submitting ACT score	57.0%
Total number of applicants	1,749	1,278
Total number of admissions given out	1,154	1,035
Admitted students who chose to enroll	237	222
Yield rate	20.5%	21.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$53,162	$53,992
Average net price	$18,532	$25,345
Tuition	$37,518	$35,540
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,114 Meal plan: $5,256	$10,428
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $31,137	100.0% Average amount $24,399
Students receiving federal student loan	72.0% Average amount $5,750	75.0% Average amount $8,519
Students taking out private loans	29.0% Average amount $5,551	15.0% Average amount $13,309

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,506 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%	1,290 Men 34.4% Women 65.6%
Graduate students	453 Men 16.3% Women 83.7%	290 Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	39.4%	14.0%
International students	0.5%	4.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	836	561
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Iowa Texas Nebraska Minnesota Arizona	Iowa Illinois Arizona Minnesota Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Computer and Information Science	Business Health Professions Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.8%	59.9%
Dropout rate	36.8%	39.2%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,501 Year 2: $58,943 Year 3: $61,003 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,278 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $52,709 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,249 Year 2: $45,455 Year 3: $48,387 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,936 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $46,768 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,901 Year 2: $47,494 Year 3: $46,501 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,530 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $45,327 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,042 Year 2: $40,089 Year 3: $45,181 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,301 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $44,742 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,198 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $43,790 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,262 Year 2: $37,819 Year 3: $37,074	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,108 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $71,895 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,297 Year 2: $68,666 Year 3: $68,063 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,444 Year 2: $52,822 Year 3: $63,134 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,232 Year 2: $58,402 Year 3: $60,703 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,547 Year 2: $56,847 Year 3: $56,894 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,894 Year 2: $47,846 Year 3: $56,288 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,879 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $46,541 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,384 Year 2: $41,689 Year 3: $44,808 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,591 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $41,729 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,647 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $40,888

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Buena Vista University vs Mount Mercy University

Buena Vista University

Mount Mercy University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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