Georgia › Educational services › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Mercer University Defined Contribution Retirement Plan
Sponsored by Mercer University, Macon, GA
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, Mercer University Defined Contribution Retirement Plan covered 3,807 participants and held $559M in net assets. The plan is a 403(b) plan sponsored by Mercer University of Macon, Georgia.
Net assets came to $146,767 per participant, well above the $50,295 median for defined contribution plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and well above the $73,018 median for defined contribution plans in educational services. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
The employer contributed $10.8M during the year, or $5,547 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,045; participants contributed $7.7M and $1.6M arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $35.4M.
Schedule C lists 5 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $348K: $91.51 per participant, above the same-size median of $82.08. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $131K. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $225M in 2009 to $559M in 2024 (up 149%), and participants from 3,088 to 3,807 (up 23%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $146,767 | $50,295 | $73,018 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $5,547 | $2,045 | $2,838 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $91.51 | $82.08 | $95.66 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.06% | 0.17% | 0.13% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $34.40 | $82.20 | $89.26 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (10,207 plans), educational services (2,753) and all US plans (63,460). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3,807 | $559M | $146,767 | $10.8M | $7.7M | $348K |
| 2023 | 3,782 | $514M | $136,014 | $10.2M | $7.2M | $299K |
| 2022 | 3,744 | $454M | $121,204 | $9.9M | $7.0M | $265K |
| 2021 | 3,696 | $521M | $140,932 | $9.8M | $6.9M | $345K |
| 2020 | 3,588 | $479M | $133,458 | $9.5M | $6.4M | $307K |
| 2019 | 3,527 | $429M | $121,500 | $9.4M | $5.8M | $290K |
| 2018 | 3,447 | $371M | $107,696 | $9.1M | $5.8M | $3.1M |
| 2017 | 3,402 | $386M | $113,493 | $8.9M | $5.5M | $248K |
| 2016 | 3,345 | $339M | $101,436 | $8.7M | $5.5M | $138K |
| 2015 | 3,266 | $326M | $99,680 | $8.6M | $5.4M | $87K |
| 2014 | 3,232 | $327M | $101,117 | $8.4M | $5.3M | $75K |
| 2013 | 3,335 | $310M | $93,049 | $8.0M | $5.0M | $77K |
| 2012 | 3,329 | $271M | $81,267 | $7.7M | $4.7M | $73K |
| 2011 | 3,239 | $248M | $76,480 | $7.3M | $4.4M | $14K |
| 2010 | 3,183 | $247M | $77,670 | $7.1M | $4.2M | $13K |
| 2009 | 3,088 | $225M | $72,706 | $6.6M | $4.2M | $0 |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$514,404,788
- Employer contributions$10,751,027
- Participant contributions$7,671,497
- Rollovers and other contributions$1,630,249
- Total contributions$20,052,773
- Total income, including investment results$79,870,174
- Benefits paid$35,402,633
- Administrative expenses$130,977
- Total expenses$35,533,610
- Net income$44,336,564
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$558,741,352
Participants
- Active participants1,938
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits0
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits1,837
- Participants with account balances3,800
- Total participants, end of year3,807
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiaa-Teachers Ins & Annuity Assoc | — | $191,956 | $0 |
| SageView Advisory Group LLC | — | $67,500 | $0 |
| Corporation of Mercer University | — | $61,310 | $0 |
| Guidestone Financial Resources | Investment management; Recordkeeping and information management | $0 | $18,647 |
| Equitable Financial Life Ins Co. | Participant loan processing; Investment management; Trustee (directed) | $0 | $8,978 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Investment advisory and management fees$67,500
- IQPA audit fees$52,760
- Salaries and allowances$8,550
- Contract administrator fees$2,167
- Total administrative expenses$130,977
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$400M · 71.7%
- Insurance company general account$142M · 25.5%
- Pooled separate accounts$15.3M · 2.7%
- Participant loans$611K · 0.1%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$88K · 0.0%
- Receivables$4,875 · 0.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmMcNair McLemore Middlebrooks & Co.
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $1,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
2GTotal participant-directed account plan2LCode section 403(b)(1) arrangement (annuity contracts)2MCode section 403(b)(7) accounts (custodial accounts for regulated investment company stock)
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 611000: Educational Services (including schools, colleges, & universities).
Similar plans in Georgia
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Independent School Group Retirement Plan (Misbo) | Mid-South Independent School Business Officers, Inc. | 5,204 | $395M | $75,861 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design Retirement Plan | Savannah College of Art and Design | 2,742 | $222M | $81,007 |
| Emory University Retirement Plan | Emory University Division of Human Resources | 40,652 | $5.54B | $136,274 |
| South University Retirement Plan | South University Savannah, LLC | 2,460 | $31.7M | $12,888 |
| Big Blue Marble 401(k) Retirement Plan | Big Blue Marble Academy, LLC | 2,174 | $3.2M | $1,475 |
| Morehouse School of Medicine 403(b) Plan | Morehouse School of Medicine | 1,609 | $260M | $161,641 |
Defined contribution plans in educational services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Mercer University Defined Contribution Retirement Plan?
3,807 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 1,938 were active employees, with net assets of $558,741,352. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 10,207 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Mercer University contribute per participant?
The filing reports $10,751,027 in employer contributions for the year, which is $5,547 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,045 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $348,391 in compensation to service provider organisations, $91.51 per participant or 0.06% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $82.08 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $130,977. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Mercer University. Recordkeeping or administration: Guidestone Financial Resources. Investment advisory or management: Guidestone Financial Resources and Equitable Financial Life Ins Co.. Trustee or custodian: Equitable Financial Life Ins Co.. The financial statements were audited by McNair McLemore Middlebrooks & Co.. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 15 Oct 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 58-0566167, plan 001, received 15 Oct 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.