Arcadia vs. Messiah College

Should I go to Arcadia University or Messiah College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Arcadia or Messiah College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Arcadia University vs. Messiah College comparison
Arcadia University Messiah College College 3 College 4
Arcadia University Messiah College
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Overview

Arcadia Messiah College
Location Glenside, PA Grantham, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,142 3,344
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #471 #362
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website arcadia.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Arcadia Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $47,590 $39,700
Tuition (Out of State) $47,590 $39,700
Room & Board $16,250 $11,910
Avg Net Price $26,994 $29,882
Avg Grant Aid $34,234 $24,223
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Arcadia Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,688 2,375
Admitted 5,296 1,864
Acceptance Rate 79.2% 78.5%
Enrolled % 7.9% 32%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.8
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/30 22/30
SAT Range 1083/1310 1100/1340
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

Arcadia Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Arcadia Messiah College
Graduation Rate 62% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,400 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $279 $268

Diversity

Arcadia Messiah College
% Men 11% 6%
% Women 28% 17%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 68% 83%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 8% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 3% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Arcadia Messiah College
% In-State 66% 63%
% Out-of-State 32% 36%

Campus

Arcadia Messiah College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Messiah College is larger than than Arcadia based on total student enrollment (3,344 students vs. 3,142 students)

Arcadia vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Arcadia or Messiah College?

  • Arcadia University is 19.9% more expensive to attend than Messiah College for in-state tuition ($47,590.00 vs. $39,700.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.9% higher at Arcadia than Messiah College ($47,590.00 vs. $39,700.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Arcadia University than Messiah College ($26,994 vs. $29,882)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 36.4% lower than costs at Arcadia University ($11,910 vs. $16,250)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Arcadia University as Messiah College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Arcadia University students is 41.3% larger than aid received Messiah College ($34,234 vs. $24,223)

Arcadia vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Arcadia or Messiah College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Messiah College or Arcadia .

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 25 points higher than at Arcadia (1104)
  • Incoming Arcadia students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at Messiah College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.38 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Arcadia (3.42)
  • Arcadia has a higher acceptance rate (79.2%) than Messiah College (78.5%)

Arcadia vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Arcadia or Messiah College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Messiah College and Arcadia.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Arcadia University (74% vs. 62%)
  • Graduates from Messiah College earn on average $2,200 more per year than Arcadia graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $46,400)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $1,011 lower median federal student loan debt than Arcadia graduates. ($25,989 vs. $27,000)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Arcadia graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Arcadia students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/