Mercy University Recognized As A Top Performer in Social Mobility by U.S. News & World Report
For the fourth consecutive year, Mercy ranked as a top performer for Social Mobility and secured rankings for Best Undergraduate Nursing Program and Best Regional University.
Today, Mercy University announced its recognition by U.S. News & World Report as a top performer for Social Mobility in its 2025 Best Colleges rankings. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Mercy has achieved this distinction, solidifying its commitment to providing accessible education for all students. Additionally, the University secured rankings for Best Undergraduate Nursing Program and Best Regional University.
“Mercy University is dedicated to empowering our students through education, especially those who face barriers to higher education,” said Susan L. Parish, Ph.D., M.S.W., president of Mercy University. “Being recognized for our efforts in social mobility underscores our mission to transform lives and communities. We are committed to ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to succeed.”
Now in its 40th year, the U.S. News rankings assess nearly 1,500 colleges and universities based on a range of academic quality measures, emphasizing social mobility and outcomes for graduating college students. Mercy University ranked in the top 13% of schools in the northern region for Social Mobility, which measures the graduation rates of students receiving federal Pell Grants. Mercy has earned a spot in the Social Mobility category since its addition to the Best College Rankings in 2019. This year, Mercy improved its ranking, moving up to 20th out of 165 institutions, a significant leap from 28th place last year. This distinction shows Mercy’s commitment to ensure educational access and college completion for non-traditional students, including those who may be demographically underrepresented in higher education, demonstrate high financial need, or identify as first-generation college students.
Mercy University stands as the largest private minority-serving institution and Hispanic-Serving Institution in the region, reflecting its long-standing commitment to educational access, and has one of the lowest tuition rates of private, four-year colleges in the region. In 2023-24, 54% of Mercy students qualified for Federal Pell Grants. This year, over 70% of new freshmen were eligible for Pell Grants, further supporting their educational journey.
In addition to its Social Mobility recognition, Mercy’s School of Nursing ranked in the top 57% among Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs nationally, reinforcing its dedication to preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. This ranking, which rose significantly from 535 to 392, reflects Mercy’s commitment to excellence in nursing education and responsiveness to workforce needs.
For the fifth consecutive year, Mercy University ranked in the Best Regional Universities North category. In this category, regional universities are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Mercy ranked 115 out of 165 (up from 123 last year), placing in the top 70%. This improvement demonstrates the University’s focus on enhancing academic initiatives and student outcomes while increasing its visibility both regionally and nationally.
These achievements reflect Mercy University’s unwavering dedication to academic excellence, student support, and community impact.
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About Mercy University
Mercy University is an independent, coeducational institution serving more than 9,000 students each year across campuses in Westchester, the Bronx, Manhattan, as well as online. It is a federally designated minority-serving institution and the largest private Hispanic Serving Institution in the state of New York. Mercy offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certificate programs within six schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts, Nursing and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The institution also provides non-credit courses and certificates for adult learners looking to acquire new skills through CERTiFi by Mercy University. Mercy was founded in 1950 by the Sisters of Mercy whose mission of transformative education remains strong. For more information, visit www.mercy.edu.
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.