Bryn Athyn College vs. Messiah College

Should I go to Bryn Athyn College of the New Church or Messiah College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Bryn Athyn College 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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Bryn Athyn College of the New Church vs. Messiah College comparison
Bryn Athyn College of the New Church Messiah College College 3 College 4
Messiah College
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Overview

Bryn Athyn College Messiah College
Location Bryn Athyn, PA Grantham, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 285 3,344
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #362
Religious Affiliation Other (none of the above) Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website brynathyn.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Bryn Athyn College Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $25,893 $39,700
Tuition (Out of State) $25,893 $39,700
Room & Board $13,851 $11,910
Avg Net Price $19,204 $29,882
Avg Grant Aid $20,264 $24,223
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

Bryn Athyn College Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 593 2,375
Admitted 440 1,864
Acceptance Rate 74.2% 78.5%
Enrolled % 17% 32%
Avg High School GPA 2.87 3.8
Typical High School Grades B- A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/30
SAT Range 1060/1298 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 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

Bryn Athyn College Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (38%)
  • General Studies (19%)
  • History (17%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Bryn Athyn College Messiah College
Graduation Rate 30% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $25,989
Median Loan Payment N/A $268

Diversity

Bryn Athyn College Messiah College
% Men 3% 6%
% Women 1% 17%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 62% 83%
% Black 21% 3%
% Hispanic 10% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Bryn Athyn College Messiah College
% In-State 82% 63%
% Out-of-State 18% 36%

Campus

Bryn Athyn College 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 Bryn Athyn College based on total student enrollment (3,344 students vs. 285 students)

Bryn Athyn College vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bryn Athyn College or Messiah College?

  • Messiah College is 53.3% more expensive to attend than Bryn Athyn College for in-state tuition ($39,700.00 vs. $25,893.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 53.3% higher at Messiah College than Bryn Athyn College of the New Church ($39,700.00 vs. $25,893.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church than Messiah College ($19,204 vs. $29,882)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 16.3% lower than costs at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church ($11,910 vs. $13,851)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Bryn Athyn College of the New Church (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 19.5% larger than aid received Bryn Athyn College of the New Church ($24,223 vs. $20,264)

Bryn Athyn College vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 177 points higher than at Bryn Athyn College (952)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Bryn Athyn College (21)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.93 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Bryn Athyn College (2.87)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (78.5%) than Bryn Athyn College (74.2%)

Bryn Athyn College vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bryn Athyn College 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 Bryn Athyn College.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Bryn Athyn College of the New Church (74% vs. 30%)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bryn Athyn College students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 63%)

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