Misericordia University

What Misericordia University does

Misericordia University is a private, nonprofit Catholic liberal arts university founded in 1924 by the Sisters of Mercy in Dallas, Pennsylvania, serving roughly 2,342 students across three academic colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business, and Health Sciences and Education. It delivers over 55 academic programs including undergraduate majors, graduate degrees, and doctoral programs, with a stated 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, average class sizes of 14-17, and approximately 118-119 full-time faculty of which roughly 75% hold a Ph.D. or other terminal degree. Distribution channels span traditional on-campus residential instruction, online and distance education, the ARCH program for adult learners, the Center for Adult and Continuing Education (CACE), the Center for Workforce Development and Talent Solutions, and branded summer camps. Technology deployment is centered on student-facing digital platforms (myMU portal, enrollment systems, virtual experience tools) plus third-party accessibility software (AudioEye, UserWay).

The business model is fundamentally tuition-driven: primary revenue comes from undergraduate and graduate tuition and fees, with over 99% of students receiving some form of financial aid and need-based awards commonly exceeding $20,000 per year, indicating deep tuition discounting typical of enrollment-dependent private institutions. A secondary revenue stream consists of donations and gifts through annual campaigns, the Cougar Club for athletics, capital campaigns, and named gift programs supporting scholarships and operations. Customer segments include traditional residential undergraduates (ages 18-22), adult and continuing learners via ARCH, graduate students in healthcare and education fields, and transfer students; sales motions combine direct-to-consumer admissions, event-driven open houses and campus visits, and channel partnerships (notably the Pennsylvania State Police criminology pipeline). The institution differentiates via its Catholic/Mercy values foundation, a Guaranteed Placement Program promising a position or graduate placement within six months of graduation, partnerships with employers such as the Pennsylvania State Police, and continuous Middle States accreditation since 1935 reaffirmed in 2024.

Name

Misericordia University

Legal name

Misericordia University

Website

https://misericordia.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Misericordia University is a private Catholic liberal arts university in Dallas, Pennsylvania serving roughly 2,342 students across undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs via three academic colleges, with revenue primarily from tuition supported by 99%+ financial aid participation and ancillary donations, adult-learner, and workforce development streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAH)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate professional degrees
• Adult continuing education
• Liberal arts university

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition. Merit-based scholarships and need-based financial aid available, with over 98% of students receiving some form of financial aid. Need-based awards can total well over $20,000 per year for qualified students.
2. Donations and Gifts: Alumni and donor contributions through annual giving campaigns, capital campaigns, and named gift programs supporting scholarships, athletics (Cougar Club), and general university operations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Misericordia University is a private Catholic liberal arts university delivering higher education through 55+ undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs across three academic colleges (Arts and Sciences, Business, and Health Sciences and Education). It serves approximately 2,342 students on its Dallas, Pennsylvania campus and via online programs, with auxiliary offerings including ARCH adult learner programs, workforce development, the Guaranteed Placement Program, and NCAA Division III athletics. The university operates as a nonprofit institution founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1924, with over 99% of students receiving some form of financial aid.

Product overview

Misericordia University is a private Catholic liberal arts university in Dallas, Pennsylvania, offering a portfolio of educational products and services. The university operates three academic colleges (Arts and Sciences, Business, and Health Sciences and Education) providing over 55 academic programs including undergraduate majors, graduate degrees, and doctoral programs. Additional offerings include ARCH Programs for adult learners, the Center for Workforce Development and Talent Solutions with professional certificates, University Camps for youth, athletics programs (31 NCAA Division III teams), service learning initiatives, and various institutes focused on ethics, aging, scripture, and law. The university also provides a Guaranteed Placement Program promising career support within six months of graduation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 78% first-year to sophomore retention rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• Pennsylvania State PolicemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Partnership provides criminology students a direct pathway into the State Trooper academy during their final semester, allowing them to complete academy training while finishing their degree and become eligible for employment upon graduation. Described as a 'win-win-win' by President Dan Myers, benefiting police recruitment, the university's career programs, and students seeking law enforcement careers.
• King's CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2026Articulation agreement to strengthen athletic training pipeline, establishing transfer pathways for students pursuing athletic training education between institutions.
• Alvernia UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026Collaborative partner in interdisciplinary service-learning trip to Belize. Students and faculty from speech-language pathology program worked alongside Alvernia University and University of Pittsburgh teams to provide therapy services and educational training to underserved communities.
• University of PittsburghminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026Collaborative partner in interdisciplinary service-learning trip to Belize. Worked with Misericordia speech-language pathology students and Alvernia University to provide therapy services and educational training to underserved communities in Belize City, San Ignacio, and Orange Walk.
• PA College of Optometry at Salus UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership providing a proprietary pathway for Misericordia students pursuing doctoral-level profession in optometry.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lycoming College: Residential liberal arts college in Williamsport, PA competing for similar traditional undergraduates in central and northeastern Pennsylvania with comparable size and tuition-driven economics.
• University of Scranton: Jesuit Catholic university in Scranton, PA that directly competes with Misericordia for traditional undergraduate students from the same regional feeder, with similar liberal arts core and pre-professional programs.
• Wilkes University: Private university in Wilkes-Barre, PA competing for the same Northeast Pennsylvania student pool, with overlapping undergraduate and graduate health sciences programs and a similar mid-size private-NE positioning.
• King's College: Wilkes-Barre, PA-based Catholic liberal arts college serving a similar Northeast Pennsylvania student market with comparable size, tuition model, and health sciences/business programs. King's College is also an active articulation partner of Misericordia, underscoring close functional overlap.
• Marywood University: Scranton-area Catholic university with comparable graduate health sciences and education programs, competing for the same adult-learner and healthcare-professions market in Northeast Pennsylvania.
• Alvernia University: Franciscan Catholic liberal arts university in Reading, PA with comparable size, mission-based positioning, and health professions offerings; Alvernia is also an active partner of Misericordia on interdisciplinary service-learning initiatives.
• Arcadia University: Private university in suburban Philadelphia offering similarly structured liberal arts and pre-professional health science programs; comparable in size, private nonprofit tuition model, and Catholic-affiliated peer set expansion beyond Pennsylvania.
• Susquehanna University: Selective private liberal arts university in Selinsgrove, PA with comparable residential model, tuition-driven economics, and Pennsylvania private-college positioning that draws from overlapping student geographies.

Regional players

• Salus University: Health sciences-focused graduate institution in the Philadelphia suburbs with which Misericordia has an articulation agreement for optometry; comparable in its specialization in clinical health professions education, though operating primarily in graduate/post-baccalaureate space.

Broad incumbents

• Drew University: Larger private liberal arts university in Madison, NJ with broader program portfolio and established national reputation; useful benchmark for how a private liberal arts university at greater scale competes in the same broader Northeastern market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/misericordiau
• YouTubeyoutube.com/misericordiau
• Facebookfacebook.com/59309612318
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/misericordia-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/misericordiau
• TikToktiktok.com/@misericordiau

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Misericordia University