Human Services at Mercy University

Mercy University's Human Services program lands squarely in the middle nationally but underperforms within New York, where graduates typically earn about $1,200 more per year. Starting at $37,274, graduates earn roughly what they would at the national median, yet fall into the 40th percentile among the state's 16 programs. This gap matters because New York's higher cost of living makes that state median a more relevant benchmark than national figures—and several comparable schools, including CUNY's City Tech and St. Joseph's, consistently place graduates $4,000-6,000 higher.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $28,500, it's actually below both state and national medians for this field. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76, graduates should be able to manage payments, though the combination of modest starting salaries and New York's expenses will require careful budgeting. The 7% earnings growth over four years is steady but won't dramatically change the financial equation.

For families considering this program, the value proposition depends heavily on alternatives. If your child can access CUNY or St. Joseph's at similar cost, those appear to offer better earnings outcomes. However, with nearly half of students receiving Pell grants, Mercy clearly serves a population that may value its accessibility and reasonable debt burden. This program won't lead to financial struggle, but it also won't provide the earning power that other New York programs deliver in the same field.