Retention and Graduation Rates

The University monitors retention and graduation rates as measure of success of its undergraduate programs. 

Retention Rate

Threshold: 80%
Goal by 2028: 92%
Actual retention rate for the fall 2021 cohort: 86%

Graduation Rate

Graduation rates are measured by calculating the percentage of an entering fall cohort that graduates from Mercer within 6 years.

Threshold: 65% (increased from 60% January 2021)
Goal by 2028: 75%

Actual graduation rate for the fall 2016 cohort: 74%

Some students take longer than six years to complete, or decide to transfer out of Mercer to other institutions that they feel are a better fit for them and their academic goals. The following graph gives a more comprehensive picture of where fall 2016 students were on their path to earning a postsecondary degree at six years (as of August 31, 2022). See here for disaggregated graduation/completion data.

Status of First-time, Full-time Students Entering Fall 2016

gradchart 2015

Methodology: Students in the cohort are counted in one category only in the hierarchy shown in the graph. Enrollment and graduation from other postsecondary institutions was obtained from the National Student Clearinghouse StudentTracker service and covers both 2- and 4-year institutions. The rates may differ from rates reported elsewhere under different reporting definitions.
SACSCOC requires that we identify a student completion metric. We've chosen the IPEDS graduation rate metric, and we compare ourselves to the average graduation rate of a selected group of other private, non-profit, four-year institutions in Georgia.
IPEDS Grade Rate Chart