Mount Mercy University is a Catholic liberal arts school in eastern Iowa, with about 1,100 undergrad students. Founded as a women’s college, the university went co-ed in 1969, although its student body remains predominantly female, with roughly 60% women and 40% men.
Today Mount Mercy offers 30 majors in fields that include the arts, sciences, business, education, and nursing. Student activities include more than 30 clubs and organizations, intramural sports, and opportunities for local community service and service trips.
The university’s graduation rate of 64% is 14% higher than expected for students with similar test scores and economic backgrounds, according to Money’s calculations.
As of 2026, Mount Mercy is taking the final steps of a merger with St. Ambrose University, located in Davenport, Iowa. Although officials announced in June 2025 that St. Ambrose would be the corporate parent of the newly combined institution, they said Mount Mercy will still have its own campus, name and academic programs.
