Top Ranked Programs
University of Detroit Mercy's program mix is anchored in health and applied professional fields — a signature consistent with the institution's Jesuit research-university identity in Detroit. Health represents the largest share of degree output, with Business accounting for 10% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 7% and Social Sciences at 2%. Across 24 programs serving roughly 622 students annually, the university concentrates its degree output in fields with direct pathways into licensed, credentialed, and in-demand occupations. The program with the highest aggregate return — combining cohort scale with strong four-year earnings — is Nursing, which anchors the institution's economic profile. Among the highest-earning programs, Mechanical Engineering program graduates 19 students with median earnings of $104,683 four years after enrollment; Azimuth ranks the program #49 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Biology, General and Business Administration follow, with graduates earning $91,888 and $89,540 respectively four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks Biology, General #1 and Business Administration #31 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, per the [program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). The most popular programs by graduate volume — Nursing (216 graduates), Biology, General (121 graduates), and Business Administration (50 graduates) — reflect the institution's health-and-professional orientation. These are predominantly direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings reflect labor-market entry into nursing, allied health, and clinical roles rather than grad-school-dependent trajectories. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these health-field concentrations align with sustained national hiring demand.