Mercyhurst posts record-breaking enrollment and fundraising

One year after President Michael Victor took over in August 2015, Mercyhurst University announced record-breaking freshman enrollment and fundraising.

This fall, 734 freshmen are set to join the school this fall, and more than $6.57 million was earned in 2015-16.

“At a time when many higher education institutions are grappling with declining enrollments, we are thrilled to have an enrollment that exceeds expectations,” Victor said. “We are also pleased to have accomplished this without lowering our standards in any way…We found new ways of telling the Mercyhurst story to more people and it showed; our campus visits were up 40 percent this year over last. We also implemented a number of data-driven strategies that will remain proprietary.”

Mercyhurst’s incoming freshmen are qualified as well as numerous, with one in eight having high school grade point averages over 4.0. The show of confidence from the school’s growing enrollment was echoed in fundraising, where new pledges increased 279 percent from the previous fiscal year.

“These generous gifts are an expression of confidence in Mercyhurst University and the strategic path we have charted for our future," Victor said. "In addition, it is clear that our many friends and donors recognize the capacity for Mercyhurst to contribute to the welfare of our city, state and nation… Mercyhurst is a family; it’s also a feeling, and that intangible, while hard to put into words, is what unites us all.”