Mercy College (Mercy or Mercy NY) is a
privateresearch university with its main campus in
Dobbs Ferry, New York and additional locations in
Manhattan,
Bronx, and
Yorktown Heights.[8] Mercy College was founded in 1950 by the
Sisters of Mercy. Mercy College has five schools:
Business, Education, Health & Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Social & Behavioral Sciences, and offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs.[9] The university had 11,295 students enrolled in Fall 2015. The student body comes from 43 states and 54 countries.[5]
Founded by the
Sisters of Mercy in 1950, Mercy College became a four-year college offering programs leading to the baccalaureate degree in 1961. The College was accredited by the
Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 1968. In the next half-decade, Mercy College set a course for its future with a series of actions including declaring itself independent and co-educational. In addition, it doubled the size of the existing physical plant and initiated the first of many community outreach efforts. Mercy College in the 1970s broadened its outreach through the establishment of extension centers and branch campuses throughout communities in
Westchester County and New York City.
Mercy College was authorized to offer its first
graduate program, nursing, in 1981. Since then, over 30 diverse graduate programs have been introduced, and in 2006, the College was granted authorization to offer its first
doctoral program in
physical therapy.[10] The College expanded its offerings to include online programs in the 1990s, and was soon granted the ability to offer entire degree programs online. Thousands of Mercy College students take one or all of their courses online through the more than 40 undergraduate and graduate programs offered.[8]
In January 2017, founding Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at
Western New Mexico University, as well as a former Program Director at the
National Science Foundation (NSF), Dr. José Herrera, was appointed the new Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs of Mercy College.[12][13]
In September 2018, Mercy College appointed former president of
Tuskegee University Brian L. Johnson, Ph.D. as Vice President of the Mercy College Manhattan Campus.[14]
Absorption of College of New Rochelle
In early 2019, Mercy College and
College of New Rochelle announced that College of New Rochelle would be absorbed into Mercy College before Fall 2019, including College of New Rochelle's students, faculty, programs, some facilities, as well as transcripts, history and legacy of CNR alumnae/i. Mercy College would become the repository of CNR documents.[15][16][17]
The main campus is in
Dobbs Ferry,
New York, overlooking the
Hudson River. The campus encompasses 66 acres alongside the Hudson River in Dobbs Ferry, New York, a suburb of
Westchester County, 25 miles north of New York City. In addition to academic and administrative buildings, it houses the College’s residence and athletics buildings. In 2011, Mercy College bought the
Our Lady of Victory Academy building after the school closed.[18] Dobbs Ferry students enjoy all the nearby shopping and restaurants, just steps from campus, as well as biking, jogging or walk along the
Old Croton Aqueduct Trail that runs through campus. The Dobbs Ferry main campus is just a short walk from the
Ardsley-on-Hudson Station of the
Metro-North Hudson Line, making
Grand Central Terminal in
New York City accessible in less than 30 minutes.[19] In December 2015, the College opened a new 350-bed, state-of-the-art residence hall complex that includes a 5,000-square-foot fitness center facility, and student commons with shops.[20]
Mercy College hosted the Third Round and Quarterfinals of the 2017 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championships at Mercy Field on the Dobbs Ferry main campus.[21]
Sites
Manhattan
The Manhattan site is situated in the heart of Manhattan at
Herald Square and occupies two floors at 66 W 35th St. In 2019, Mercy College expanded its Manhattan site to more than 95,000 square feet.[22]
Bronx
The Bronx site occupies 125,000 square feet at the Hutchinson Metro Center, a rapidly developing complex of corporate and health care organizations and businesses.
Yorktown Heights
In 1979, the Yorktown site of Mercy College was moved to its permanent facility at the intersection of Route 202 and Strang Boulevard. This beautifully landscaped building was renovated for college use. The branch library of Mercy College on Mercy College's Yorktown site has been designated a
federal depository for government publications.[23] In Yorktown Heights, students have access to Northern Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess and Fairfield Counties. The site is close to Franklin Delano Roosevelt State Park, which offers extensive outdoor recreational activities.
With regard to the average class size, 94 percent of undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students and 62 percent have fewer than 20 students. There are 213 full-time professors with a significant majority holding the highest degree in their respective fields, Fulbright Scholars, published and national best-selling authors, and experts.[25]
Mercy College offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, including more than two dozen that can be completed online. The faculty comprises 210 full-time professors with a significant majority holding the highest degree in their respective fields, Fulbright Scholars, published and national best-selling authors, and experts.
Mercy College runs the Personalized Achievement Contract (PACT) Program, a mentoring program that aims to maximize students’ success through comprehensive collaboration between students and professional mentors, and to address the national agenda to raise the number of college graduates in America. PACT students are provided professional mentors who facilitate integrated support for academic, career, and personal growth. Together, student and mentor create a customized plan. Mercy offers an Honors Program for high achieving students.
Reputation and rankings
Mercy College has been recognized as providing one of the top online learning undergraduate programs by U.S. News & World Report in 2019.[26][27]
Mercy College tied for sixth place on the list for best “campus ethnic diversity” in the northern region by U.S. News & World Report in 2017.[28]
Barron's ranks Mercy College a "best buy" and “competitive” in college education in 2014.[29]
Mercy College was featured on Washington Monthly’s 2015 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings.[30]
Mercy College's MBA program has been listed in Princeton Reviews Best 296 Business Schools in 2017.[31]
Mercy College is among universities and colleges nationwide named a "best buy" in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2016.[32]
According to data from The New York Times in 2019, Mercy College ranked among "selective private colleges" yielding the greatest overall
social mobility; this data reflects the share of all students who came from lower-income families and ended up in higher-income families after completing their education.[33]
Although Mercy College School of Business does not fully offer an online MBA program, nonetheless the School's MBA program has been ranked among the best online MBA programs by U.S. News & World Report in 2019.[34]
Ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for "Best Online Graduate Business Programs (excluding MBA)," 2018 edition.[35]
Ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for "Best Online Graduate Education Programs," 2018 edition.[36]
Ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for "Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs," 2018 edition.[37]
In 2018, Mercy College was featured on "best colleges for your money" list in
Money magazine rankings.[39]
Admissions
Peterson's classed Mercy College's admissions process as "moderately difficult".[3] Undergraduate acceptance rate was 66% in Fall 2015. The average high school GPA of incoming freshmen was 84.75/100 (3.4/4.0) in Fall 2015.[40] Mercy College's School of Business had a 68% acceptance rate in 2017.[41] The MBA program's admission rate in Fall 2018 was 27%.[34]
Demographics
As of 2014, the undergraduate population includes 7,157 full-time and 2,942 part-time students with 31 percent of freshmen and 12 percent of all full-time undergraduates residing in campus-affiliated housing. While the majority of students are New York residents, students represent 43 states and 54 countries. Mercy College offers small class sizes with an average student/faculty ratio of 20:1. 88% of students are commuters; 12% live in campus housing. Mercy College has 71% female students and 29% male students.[42]
Accreditation
All campuses of Mercy College are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Among others, Mercy College holds professional accreditations with:[43]
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
Accreditation Review Commission for Physician Assistant
Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs
American Association for Paralegal Education
American Association of Colleges of Nursing Mercy College
American Physical Therapy Association
American Speech, Language and Hearing Association
American Veterinary Medical Association
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Council on Social Work Education
Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (In candidacy for NCATE accreditation, late 2013)
Athletics
Mercy College sponsors an intramural sports program as well as intercollegiate competition in 10 varsity teams compete at the Division II level. The College is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the East Coast Conference (ECC). Varsity men’s programs include baseball, basketball, lacrosse and soccer. Women’s athletic teams compete in basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball. The baseball, lacrosse, soccer and field hockey teams, in addition to numerous local community high school and youth groups, play on a new, eco-friendly turf field on the Dobbs Ferry campus, overlooking the Hudson River.
In 2007 the college changed its
athletic nickname from "Flyers" to "Mavericks" after the administration reviewed and narrowed suggestions from students and faculty members.[6][44]
Student life
Student government
The Mercy College Student Government Association (SGA) is responsible for protecting students’ rights, advocating for students’ interests, and promoting student life. The SGA will be responsive to student interests and act as an agent for students.
Dining services
Cafeterias are present on the Dobbs Ferry main campus, and on all sites except Manhattan.
Victor M. Pichardo, a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly. Former Associate Director of Public Relations at Mercy College.[47]
Fernando Cabrera, American politician in the Bronx, New York. A Democrat, he currently represents the 14th District in the New York City Council. Formerly program director for the Mental Health and Counseling program at Mercy College
Mercy College had more than 64,322 alumni as of 2018.[5]College of New Rochelle's alumni numbering more than 54,000,[49] were merged into Mercy College's alumni community in 2019,[16] nearly doubling the size of the Mercy College alumni community to approximately 120,000 as of 2019.
Simone Forbes, Jamaican sportswoman, having represented Jamaica in no less than five sports, including netball, volleyball, basketball, football and softball
Donna Hylton, Jamaican-American activist and murderer
Norman Mailer, American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, film-maker, actor, and liberal political activist.
Louis Rukeyser, American financial journalist, columnist, and commentator, through print, radio, and television.
Adelaide L. Sanford, leader, scholar, activist administrator, public speaker, and national advocate for African centered education for students of African descent.