Cost & financial aid brief
Mercer University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Mercer University cost after financial aid?
At Mercer University, aid offsets a substantial part of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The published cost of attendance is $58,204, while the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $23,847; average aid savings are $34,357.
Aid covers about 59% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Across the income bands, average net prices are $19,817 in the lowest band, $21,484 in the next-lowest band, $22,533 in the middle band, $25,184 in the next-highest band, and $26,770 in the highest band.
That distribution is a pattern of larger average aid offsets in the lower income bands, rather than a promise for any individual family.
The published cost of attendance at Mercer University is $58,204. Azimuth ranks the university #886 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $19,817, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $22,533, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $26,770. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $6,953.
Tuition and fees are $42,312. Aid lowers the published cost by an average of $34,357, bringing the average net price across all aid recipients to $23,847.
That figure is $3,524 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,199 in federal student loans, level with the peer median.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $20,000 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $275 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is widespread at Mercer University: 90.5% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $24,199. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $24,199.
Mercer’s median is level with that benchmark. For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $20,000.
The federal debt figure sits close to the peer benchmark, but borrowing is common among undergraduates.
Four years after completion, federally aided graduates of Mercer University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $71,870. That median is $3,620 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
It falls in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,977 more than expects for similar students.
That places the gap in the 68th percentile. Earnings scenarios range from $50,941 to $86,658, with $71,870 as the typical estimate from the program mix.
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,199 in federal loans, level with the peer median of $24,199. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $275 a month if repaid over ten years.
Earnings at the university beat the model's expectation and the peer median. Debt is close to peers. The return side holds the stronger position.
For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing stands at $20,000. For federal-loan borrowers who complete, median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $275 a month if repaid over ten years.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $20,000
- Estimated parent payment
- $254/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |
The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $24,199
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $20,000
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $275/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $254/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $529/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $71,870, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.7% of income above the allowance · Excellent
- Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.