Mercer University 
The information on this page was last updated 12/4/2025. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Central to the Mercer experience is an education that uniquely prepares students to lead virtuous, meaningful and responsible lives and encourages a thoughtful examination of ethical and moral choices. This emphasis has led the Princeton Review to recognize Mercer as a "College with a Conscience."
Contact information
Mailing address:
Mercer University
1501 Mercer University Drive
Macon, GA 31207
Website: www.mercer.edu
Phone: (478) 301-2700
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 580566167
CEO/President: Penny Elkins
Chairman: Thomas Bishop
Board size: 51
Founder:
Ruling year: 1946
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
To change the world, one student at a time.
Mission statement
To teach, to learn, to create, to discover, to inspire, to empower and to serve.
Statement of faith
Donor confidence score
Show donor confidence score details
To understand our donor confidence score, click here.
Transparency grade
D
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Colleges/Universities
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 230 of 1435 | 11 of 155 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 352 of 1435 | 39 of 155 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 124 of 1435 | 3 of 155 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 792 of 1436 | 100 of 155 |
According to the organization's Form 990, it received $46,802,160 in government grants in 2025.
To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 13% | 5% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 15% | 14% | 13% | 14% | 17% | 19% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 85% | 86% | 87% | 86% | 83% | 81% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 84% | 96% | 95% | 95% | 94% | 94% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 96% | 94% | 93% | 95% | 94% | 88% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 81% | 89% | 89% | 91% | 89% | 82% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 4% | 6% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 12% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 2% | 4% | 5% | 3% | 4% | 9% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 14% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 5% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.52 | 0.41 | 0.43 | 0.40 | 0.43 | 0.40 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 2.73 | 2.77 | 3.29 | 3.09 | 3.35 | 3.08 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.45 | 1.14 | 1.40 | 1.22 | 1.44 | 1.23 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 8.18 | 11.90 | 9.70 | 9.71 | 8.28 | 9.55 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.12 | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.10 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 6.99 | 9.66 | 7.66 | 8.81 | 7.32 | 8.75 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 20% | 29% | 31% | 37% | 37% | 36% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 10% | 22% | 25% | 31% | 31% | 29% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 148% | 173% | 162% | 160% | 146% | 162% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Cash | $92,141,025 | $49,523,221 | $68,245,364 | $57,950,864 | $52,010,347 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $19,214,435 | $23,105,089 | $18,484,238 | $16,851,524 | $17,392,504 |
| Short-term investments | $287,266,504 | $243,392,853 | $252,858,541 | $214,390,527 | $247,547,175 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $398,621,964 | $316,021,163 | $339,588,143 | $289,192,915 | $316,950,026 |
| Long-term investments | $253,467,620 | $255,861,213 | $242,912,259 | $243,727,305 | $243,748,382 |
| Fixed assets | $435,002,867 | $436,604,380 | $426,607,170 | $404,923,926 | $390,244,208 |
| Other long-term assets | $15,519,502 | $30,063,593 | $39,209,481 | $31,975,044 | $24,527,951 |
| Total long-term assets | $703,989,989 | $722,529,186 | $708,728,910 | $680,626,275 | $658,520,541 |
| Total assets | $1,102,611,953 | $1,038,550,349 | $1,048,317,053 | $969,819,190 | $975,470,567 |
| Liabilities | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $19,879,997 | $21,075,106 | $23,498,699 | $22,207,800 | $20,337,608 |
| Other current liabilities | $13,607,571 | $11,510,665 | $11,481,748 | $12,722,482 | $12,843,189 |
| Total current liabilities | $33,487,568 | $32,585,771 | $34,980,447 | $34,930,282 | $33,180,797 |
| Debt | $238,795,086 | $260,930,465 | $326,717,545 | $300,588,606 | $287,206,849 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $43,322,811 | $26,997,443 | $24,692,916 | $25,908,407 | $25,951,390 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $282,117,897 | $287,927,908 | $351,410,461 | $326,497,013 | $313,158,239 |
| Total liabilities | $315,605,465 | $320,513,679 | $386,390,908 | $361,427,295 | $346,339,036 |
| Net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Without donor restrictions | $325,678,025 | $308,474,668 | $297,585,017 | $270,723,366 | $259,256,474 |
| With donor restrictions | $461,328,463 | $409,562,002 | $364,341,128 | $337,668,529 | $369,875,057 |
| Net assets | $787,006,488 | $718,036,670 | $661,926,145 | $608,391,895 | $629,131,531 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Total contributions | $69,638,691 | $61,644,050 | $62,393,992 | $74,299,163 | $83,188,166 |
| Program service revenue | $381,780,720 | $369,688,495 | $356,344,652 | $342,199,645 | $335,822,727 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $29,608,730 | $43,445,695 | $12,258,136 | $19,532,288 | $18,708,237 |
| Other revenue | $3,669,854 | $2,434,904 | $3,664,171 | $7,000,799 | $6,329,095 |
| Total other revenue | $415,059,304 | $415,569,094 | $372,266,959 | $368,732,732 | $360,860,059 |
| Total revenue | $484,697,995 | $477,213,144 | $434,660,951 | $443,031,895 | $444,048,225 |
| Expenses | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Program services | $433,570,709 | $423,130,169 | $393,969,162 | $393,732,390 | $365,862,349 |
| Management and general | $16,737,487 | $17,239,829 | $17,567,945 | $20,209,312 | $20,430,188 |
| Fundraising | $3,474,071 | $3,449,037 | $3,446,642 | $3,103,992 | $2,997,157 |
| Total expenses | $453,782,267 | $443,819,035 | $414,983,749 | $417,045,694 | $389,289,694 |
| Change in net assets | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Surplus (deficit) | $30,915,728 | $33,394,109 | $19,677,202 | $25,986,201 | $54,758,531 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | $30,915,728 | $33,394,109 | $19,677,202 | $25,986,201 | $54,758,531 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Don Nakayama | Senior Associate Dean/School of Medicine | $970,596 |
| William Underwood | President/Professor | $613,384 |
| John Hawkins | Associate Professor | $545,673 |
| Jean Sumner | Dean/Professor | $516,560 |
| James Netherton | Exec Vp-Admin & Finance | $410,543 |
| David Davis | Provost | $401,637 |
| Penny Elkins | Executive VP FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT | $367,205 |
| Edwin Grimsely | Proffessor | $354,993 |
| Karen Sneddon | Dean/Professor | $345,210 |
| John Patterson | Senior VP For Advancement | $336,677 |
| Ryan Ridder | Head Basketball Coach | $332,525 |
| Andrea Mitchell | Executive Director | $308,063 |
| Kellie Appel | Senior VP For Strategic Initiatives | $293,740 |
| Larry Brummley | Senior VP For Marketing Communications and Chief of Staff | $288,050 |
| Matthew Hall | General Counsel | $255,644 |
| Julia Davis | Avp Finance & Treasurer | $211,031 |
Compensation data as of: 6/30/2025
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 12/4/2025. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
Founded by Baptists in 1833, Mercer is an independent university that remains grounded in a tradition that embraces freedom of the mind and spirit, cherishes the equal worth of every individual, and commits to serving the needs of humankind.
https://www.mercer.edu/about-mercer/history/