Mercy College of Health Sciences

The academic experience at Mercy College is a direct pipeline into the healthcare industry. The college offers master's, bachelor's, and associate degrees, along with certificates and continuing education, all concentrated in health sciences. There is no pretension of a traditional liberal arts core; every program is designed to get students 'on the path to a successful career quickly.'

• Popular Majors: The most popular majors are intensely practical: Registered Nursing, Health Care Administration/Management, and Medical Assistant/EMT programs.
• Program Highlights: The Bachelor of Science in Health Science serves as a pre-health professions track for students aiming for medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, or physical therapy. The Bachelor of Science in Public Health focuses on disease prevention, community health promotion, and the social determinants of health.
• Academic Culture: The college recognizes academic achievement, with honors distinctions for students attaining GPAs of 3.5-3.749 (Dean's List) and 3.75 or higher (President's List), guided by institutional core values. The curriculum is built around the expectation that students will apply their learning directly in clinical and community settings.

Student life at Mercy College is inextricably linked to its professional mission. Located in downtown Des Moines, the campus culture is likely commuter-heavy and career-focused. A defining, non-negotiable component of the student experience is a mandatory service-learning requirement for all students seeking an associate or bachelor's degree, instilling a 'culture of service' central to the healthcare field.

Beyond the classroom and clinicals, student life is organized through clubs and professional societies designed to broaden understanding of healthcare fields. Offerings include a Student Diversity Organization, a student-led group created to provide a space for learning from different cultures and sharing diverse perspectives. These organizations are less about traditional campus socializing and more about professional development and building a supportive network within the healthcare community.

Mercy College measures success by the employability and earnings of its graduates, and by these metrics, it delivers a strong return. The college proudly reports that its graduates earn a median salary of $57,497 just four years after graduation, a figure that adjusts to $68,000 in 2025 inflation-adjusted dollars. This performance ranked Mercy College 6th in Iowa for earnings four years post-graduation. The financial return on investment is a key selling point; the college was ranked #5 for Best ROI in Iowa, with a calculated 40-year net present value of $980,000 and a median earnings figure that supports its value proposition. While some sources note a six-year graduation rate of 49% and a median salary of $53,375 at that point, the college's own emphasis is on the strong early-career earnings that validate its career-focused model.

Mercy College positions itself as an affordable pathway into healthcare. The college states that about 99% of students who complete the FAFSA receive some form of financial aid. Aid packages, which average around $8,276 per year, consist of federal and state grants (for those demonstrating need), scholarships, and loans. The college offers a distinctive one-time grant of up to $500 for all students, regardless of financial need, major, or other criteria.

Prospective students are directed to use the online Net Price Calculator and to contact the Financial Aid office at [email protected] or (515) 218- [number from source] for specifics. The message is clear: funding is available but limited, so meeting all deadlines early is critical. The financial aid policy, including Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, is governed by standard federal guidelines.

Mercy College of Health Sciences stands out for its unapologetic, no-frills focus. It is not trying to be a comprehensive university. It is a vocational engine for Iowa's healthcare system, and its identity is built on three pillars: access, application, and return.

First, its 100% acceptance rate removes the gatekeeping anxiety of college admissions, welcoming a broad range of students into healthcare education. Second, its curriculum is all application, culminating in a required service-learning component that embeds the ethic of care into the degree itself. There are no distractions. Finally, it delivers on the promise of a worthwhile investment. By channeling students directly into high-demand fields like nursing and public health, it generates some of the strongest early-career earnings and ROI in the state. For a student who knows they want a hands-on healthcare career and wants to start working—and earning—quickly, Mercy College offers a straightforward, efficient, and financially sensible route.