Human Resources Management and Services at Mercer University

Mercer's Human Resources Management program sits in an unusual position: it trails the national median by about $3,000 but outperforms most Georgia competitors, beating the state median by nearly $5,000. With only four schools offering this degree in Georgia, that 60th percentile ranking suggests it's the second-best in-state option—meaningful context since many families choose Mercer specifically to stay in Georgia while accessing private university resources.

The debt load of $33,888 is higher than the national median but actually below Georgia's typical $37,734 for HR programs, yielding a manageable 0.71 debt-to-earnings ratio. Your child would owe about 8.5 months of salary—not ideal, but far from the problematic territory we see in some programs. The relatively low debt percentile (19th nationally) indicates Mercer graduates carry less debt than most peers studying the same field elsewhere.

The practical calculus here depends on your alternatives. If you're comparing this to out-of-state public HR programs with lower debt loads and higher starting salaries, Mercer may not win. But if the choice is between Mercer and other Georgia HR programs—where you'd likely face similar or higher debt for lower earnings—Mercer represents solid value. The 33% Pell grant population suggests reasonable financial aid availability, which could further improve the debt picture for eligible families.