Mount Mercy University

What Mount Mercy University does

Mount Mercy University is a private Catholic university founded in 1928 and located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving approximately 1,600 students across undergraduate, graduate, and online programs. The institution employs between 251 and 500 staff and faculty, operates from a main campus at 1330 Elmhurst Drive NE, and runs an additional CRST International Graduate Center at 1650 Matterhorn Drive NE. Programs span business, nursing, education, liberal arts, and health sciences, with accelerated formats (five-, ten-, and fifteen-week blocks) and flexible evening, weekend, and online delivery targeted at working adults. Distinct offerings include a DNP program, RN-to-BSN online completion, an accelerated MBA for working adults (established 2008), and NCAA Division III athletics.

The university's business model is tuition-driven: full-time undergraduate billed expenses total $57,078 for 2026-27 (tuition $43,442 plus housing/dining/fees), though average net tuition after financial aid is $14,771, with 100% of traditional first-year and transfer undergraduates receiving scholarships or grants. Per-credit-hour pricing for graduate and online programs ranges from $634 to $1,035 depending on program. Auxiliary revenue comes from housing and meal plans, and capital projects are funded through philanthropy, exemplified by a $2.1 million lead gift from the Lavern T. and Audrey Busse Foundation for the Busse Football Center. Core technology is limited to a standard learning management system and online course delivery platform; no proprietary AI, APIs, or differentiated technology stack is disclosed.

Mount Mercy is currently undergoing a strategic combination with St. Ambrose University, under which St. Ambrose functions as the parent organization, with shared leadership including president Dr. Amy Novak and shared VP for Strategic Growth Nicole Sakraida. In 2026 the combined system jointly acquired the Sacred Heart Convent from the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas for conversion into a residence hall for approximately 75 upper-class students. The university's primary customer segments are traditional undergraduates, working-adult graduate students, and online learners, with distribution through direct on-campus enrollment, off-site graduate facilities, and self-serve online channels.

Name

Mount Mercy University

Legal name

Mount Mercy University

Website

https://mtmercy.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Mount Mercy University is a private Catholic university founded in 1928 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving 1,600+ students through undergraduate, graduate, and online programs in business, nursing, and education, and currently combining with St. Ambrose University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate degree programs
• Online university education
• Catholic university

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition: Full-time undergraduate tuition of $43,442 (2026-27) with average net tuition of $14,771 after financial aid
2. Graduate and Online Programs: Per-semester-hour tuition for graduate, online, and part-time programs ranging from $634 to $1,035 depending on program
3. Housing and Dining: Room and board services generating $12,636 in living expenses for 2026-27 academic year
4. Philanthropy and Grants: $2.1 million lead gift from Lavern T. and Audrey Busse Foundation for Busse Football Center including $1.5 million matching challenge

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Mount Mercy University is a private Catholic university in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, offering undergraduate majors and minors (traditional on-campus and accelerated online), flexible master's and doctoral graduate programs for working adults, and fully online bachelor's and master's degrees delivered in 5, 10, and 15-week block formats. The university also provides on-campus housing, dining, NCAA Division III athletics, and student support services across business, nursing, education, liberal arts, and health programs.

Product overview

Mount Mercy University operates as a regional Catholic university offering a unified educational portfolio consisting of undergraduate programs (traditional on-campus and accelerated formats), graduate programs (master's and doctoral degrees), and fully online programs. The institution is undergoing a strategic combination with St. Ambrose University, with St. Ambrose functioning as the parent organization. Programs span business, education, nursing, health sciences, liberal arts, and social sciences, with graduate offerings emphasizing working-adult accessibility through evening, weekend, and online delivery formats. The university's Catholic Mercy mission emphasizes ethical leadership, service to the common good, and formation of students for meaningful lives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs Traditional on-campus and accelerated online undergraduate majors and minors serving traditional and adult students across business, nursing, education, liberal arts, and sciences.
• Graduate Programs Flexible master's and doctoral programs designed for working adults, offered face-to-face or online with evening, weekend, and summer scheduling.
• Online Programs Bachelor's and master's degrees delivered with online convenience, formatted in five, ten, and fifteen-week blocks allowing students to focus on one class at a time.
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) MBA program emphasizing ethical and socially responsible leadership, thinking globally and strategically, with emphases in Business Administration, Finance, Health Care Administration, Human Resources, Leadership, and Supply Chain Management.
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) MSN program focused on health promotion and disease prevention with emphases in Health Advocacy, Nursing Administration, and Nursing Education.
• Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) Graduate education degree preparing students to use researched instructional strategies, conduct assessments, and become reflective practitioners and teacher leaders.
• Master of Science in Education (MSEd) 36-credit hour program for teachers seeking K-12 Principal/K-12 Special Education Supervisor endorsement through the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Advanced nursing practice program with FNP-DNP track for family nurse practitioner certification and DNP track for nurse practitioners of any specialty.
• Athletics Programs NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics including basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, bowling, cross country, track and field, lacrosse, and baseball. Home games at the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex and Rinderknecht Athletic Center.
• RN to BSN Online Program Online bachelor's degree completion program for registered nurses, may have in-person clinical course options.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 25% ROI - over $1 million in earnings over 40-year career
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sisters of Mercy of the AmericascoreOthers · 2 February 2026Mount Mercy and St. Ambrose jointly acquired the Sacred Heart Convent from the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Sisters of Mercy are the founding religious order of Mount Mercy University with historical ties to the institution.
• St. Ambrose UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026Strategic combination with St. Ambrose University where St. Ambrose functions as the parent organization of Mount Mercy. Universities jointly acquired Sacred Heart Convent and share leadership including shared president Dr. Amy Novak and shared VP for Strategic Growth Nicole Sakraida. Combination aims to build a more integrated, mission-centered, and sustainable model of Catholic higher education.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• St. Ambrose University: St. Ambrose University is the parent organization in Mount Mercy's strategic combination. Both are private Catholic universities in eastern Iowa with similar enrollment scale (~1,600-3,000 students), overlapping program portfolios (business, nursing, education), and shared leadership under President Amy Novak.
• Coe College: Coe College is a private liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with comparable size (~1,400 students) and overlapping undergraduate recruitment footprint. It competes directly with Mount Mercy for the same Cedar Rapids/Iowa prospective-student pool and shares similar tuition-discount dynamics.
• Loras College: Loras College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in Dubuque, Iowa of comparable size (~1,400 students). It competes for similar Catholic-identity-seeking, Iowa-resident students with overlapping programs in business, nursing, and education.
• Clarke University: Clarke University is a private Catholic university in Dubuque, Iowa with a comparable enrollment scale and a particularly strong nursing and health sciences portfolio that overlaps directly with Mount Mercy's signature BSN/DNP programs.
• Wartburg College: Wartburg College is a private faith-affiliated (ELCA Lutheran) liberal arts college in Waverly, Iowa with a similar enrollment scale (~1,500 students). It is a direct competitor for Iowa-resident, value-oriented undergraduates seeking private faith-based education.
• University of Dubuque: University of Dubuque is a private Presbyterian-affiliated university in Dubuque, Iowa of comparable size with overlapping undergraduate and graduate programs (including nursing and business), competing for similar Iowa/Midwest students.
• Morningside University: Morningside University is a private United Methodist-affiliated university in Sioux City, Iowa with similar enrollment size and program mix. It competes for value-oriented Midwest undergraduates and working-adult graduate students with comparable tuition-discount profiles.
• Northwestern College (Iowa): Northwestern College is a private Christian Reformed college in Orange City, Iowa with comparable enrollment scale and faith-based positioning. It competes for Iowa-resident undergraduates seeking private, values-based residential education.

Emerging players

• Mercy College of Health Sciences: Mercy College of Health Sciences is an Iowa-based Catholic health-sciences-focused institution under the Sisters of Mercy lineage. It directly overlaps with Mount Mercy's nursing and health-sciences programs and shares the Mercy heritage and donor community.

Regional players

• William Penn University: William Penn University is a private Quaker-affiliated university in Oskaloosa, Iowa with a similar enrollment scale. It is a regional competitor for non-traditional and online learners and shares comparable tuition-discount and adult-learner dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MountMercy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MountMercyUniversity/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/137865299562071
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mount-mercy-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/mtmercy
• TikToktiktok.com/@mountmercyu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Mount Mercy University