Mercyhurst University
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 250965430
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
- Phone
- 814-824-2000
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Undergraduate College (4-year)
- Affiliation
- Christianity
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $149,357,453
- Expenses
- $156,350,154
- Assets
- $154,258,981
- Liabilities
- $64,063,802
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
36 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Getz Kathleen A (President and Board of Trustees)
- Martin John J (CVC HIDTA Executive Director)
- Heller Michael E (Vice President of Finance)
Highest reported compensation
- Getz Kathleen A (President and Board of Trustees): $436,115 total reported compensation
- Martin John J (CVC HIDTA Executive Director): $233,369 total reported compensation
- Newhook Robin L (Associate Professor of PA Program): $208,299 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Mercyhurst University is a Catholic liberal arts institution dedicated to educating students in the Mercy tradition, fostering intellectual inquiry, ethical leadership, and service to others.
What it reported doing in 2024
At the fall census date during the 2024-25 academic year there were 2,632 students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and associate degree programs at the campus. The student population was comprised of 2,109 full-time and 165 part-time undergraduate students along with 259 full-time and 99 part-time graduate students. There were 136 full-time and 101 part-time faculty. During the academic year, 778 total degrees were conferred in the following categories: Baccalaureate 497, Associate 49, Masters 178, UG certificates 41 and Grad certificates 13. The University offered 13 graduate programs, 61 undergraduate majors with 67 minors, and 9 associate degree programs.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Other-operating. 85% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 59% for direct work, and 41% for grants.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 93
- Transparency & Controls: 67
- Accountability: 91
- Sustainability: 30
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 98.6%; rating input score 99
- Program expense ratio: 93%; rating input score 93
- Fundraising efficiency: $24.55 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Missing
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 40th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: Fail
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -4.7%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.99; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.42; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 1.5%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 1.2% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 98.6% of revenue deployed · 93% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 22 of 24 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $145.5M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $436K · 36 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $15.3M reported
- Consistency: 48 of 48 current checks pass
- Schedules: 13 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2009 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 12 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 4 filed related-organization links
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 39/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 43/100.