Mcpherson College
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO DEVELOP WHOLE PERSONS THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP, PARTICIPATION AND SERVICE. MCPHERSON COLLEGE IS A VIBRANT COMMUNITY OF PERSONS FROM DIVERSE FAITHS AND CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS. THE COLLEGE PROVIDES EDUCATION IN OVER 30 AREAS OF STUDY, SERVING APPROXIMATELY 781 STUDENTS.
- Income
- $67.4 million
- Spending
- $48.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- -4.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 58%
- Employees
- 487
- Volunteers
- 51
- Highest pay
- $494,899, college pres
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 28% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2525 of 25 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $41.4 million spent. MCPHERSON COLLEGE'S MISSION IS TO "DEVELOP WHOLE PERSONS THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP, PARTICIPATION, AND SERVICE" WITHIN A CAREER-FOCUSED LIBERAL ARTS ENVIRONMENT. IN 2023, THE COLLEGE SECURED AN UNPRECEDENTED 1B COMMITMENT TO ITS ENDOWMENT, MARKING ONE OF THE LARGEST SINGLE ENDOWMENT COMMITMENTS OF ANY SMALL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE IN THE U.S. NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, MONEY MAGAZINE, AND THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION'S "GREAT COLLEGES TO WORK FOR," MCPHERSON COLLEGE IS RENOWNED FOR ITS INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS. ITS AUTOMOTIVE RESTORATION PROGRAM, THE FIRST FOUR-YEAR DEGREE PROGRAM OF ITS KIND, MADE HISTORY WHEN A STUDENT-RESTORED MERCEDES-BENZ 300 S EARNED A CLASS AWARD AT THE PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE - THE FIRST TIME A STUDENT-RESTORED CAR RECEIVED SUCH AN HONOR AT THE PRESTIGIOUS CONCOURS. LEARN ABOUT ALL OF ITS PROGRAMS AT WWW.MCPHERSON.EDU. MCPHERSON COLLEGE'S MISSION IS TO "DEVELOP WHOLE PERSONS THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP, PARTICIPATION, AND SERVICE" WITHIN A CAREER-FOCUSED LIBERAL ARTS ENVIRONMENT. IN 2023, THE COLLEGE SECURED AN UNPRECEDENTED 1B COMMITMENT TO ITS ENDOWMENT, MARKING ONE OF THE LARGEST SINGLE ENDOWMENT COMMITMENTS OF ANY SMALL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE IN THE U.S. NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, MONEY MAGAZINE, AND THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION'S "GREAT COLLEGES TO WORK FOR," MCPHERSON COLLEGE IS RENOWNED FOR ITS INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS. ITS AUTOMOTIVE RESTORATION PROGRAM, THE FIRST FOUR-YEAR DEGREE PROGRAM OF ITS KIND, MADE HISTORY WHEN A STUDENT-RESTORED MERCEDES-BENZ 300 S EARNED A CLASS AWARD AT THE PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE - THE FIRST TIME A STUDENT-RESTORED CAR RECEIVED SUCH AN HONOR AT THE PRESTIGIOUS CONCOURS. LEARN ABOUT ALL OF ITS PROGRAMS AT WWW.MCPHERSON.EDU.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 1935.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.