Duquesne University vs Mercer University
Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.
VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.
The short version
- =About the same placement. 7.2% of Duquesne's Class of 2025 and 6.3% of Mercer's went to BigLaw or federal clerkships.
- Mercer costs about $12K less over three years after the average scholarship: $153K against $165K.
- Mercer is harder to get into: a 157 median LSAT and a 37.8% acceptance rate, against 157 and 43.2% at Duquesne.
- Duquesne has the higher first time bar pass rate: 89.7% against 86.5%.
Duquesne
vs
Mercer
Where graduates go
Duquesne leads 4 of 5
✓7.2%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
6.3%
✓5.3%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
4.9%
✓2.0%
Federal clerkships
1.4%
92.8%
Graduates employed
✓94.4%
✓89.7%
First time bar passage
86.5%
What it costs
Duquesne leads 3 of 4
$165K
Three year net cost
✓$153K
✓96%
Students receiving a scholarship
87%
✓$30,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$20,000/yr
✓$29,495/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$17,467/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Duquesne 43.2% · Mercer 37.8%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Duquesne
155157160
Mercer
155157160
152154156158160162
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Duquesne
3.353.623.85
Mercer
3.303.623.80
3.253.353.453.553.653.753.85
Duquesne University
Mercer University
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Frequently asked questions
Is Duquesne or Mercer better for BigLaw?
Duquesne placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 7.2% against 6.3%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Duquesne placed 5.3% and Mercer placed 4.9%. Federal clerkships were 2.0% at Duquesne and 1.4% at Mercer.
Which is harder to get into, Duquesne or Mercer?
Duquesne's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 157 and a median GPA of 3.62, with a 43.2% acceptance rate. Mercer's had 157 and 3.62, with 37.8%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Duquesne or Mercer?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $165K at Duquesne and $153K at Mercer, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, Duquesne or Mercer?
96% of Duquesne students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $30,000 a year among recipients. 87% of Mercer students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $20,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
89.7% of Duquesne's first time takers passed in 2025, against 86.5% at Mercer. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Duquesne or Mercer?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.
What a higher LSAT changes
Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.
Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology