Elizabethtown College vs. Messiah College

Should I go to Elizabethtown College or Messiah College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Elizabethtown 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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Elizabethtown College vs. Messiah College comparison
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Messiah College
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Overview

Elizabethtown College Messiah College
Location Elizabethtown, PA Grantham, PA
Setting Town Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,021 3,231
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #280 #358
Religious Affiliation Church of Brethren Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website etown.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Elizabethtown College Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $35,020 $38,550
Tuition (Out of State) $35,020 $38,550
Room & Board $12,642 $11,560
Avg Net Price $26,723 $24,120
Avg Grant Aid $21,405 $27,519
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Elizabethtown College Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,977 2,438
Admitted 2,415 1,936
Acceptance Rate 81.1% 79.4%
Enrolled % 19.2% 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.8
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 25/30
SAT Range 1070/1280 1090/1340
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

Elizabethtown College Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Elizabethtown College Messiah College
Graduation Rate 79% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $279 $268

Diversity

Elizabethtown College Messiah College
% Men 39% 37%
% Women 61% 63%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 86% 83%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 4% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 3% 4%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Elizabethtown College Messiah College
% In-State 72% 63%
% Out-of-State 27% 35%

Campus

Elizabethtown College Messiah College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes 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 Elizabethtown College based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 2,021 students)

Elizabethtown College vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Elizabethtown College or Messiah College?

  • Messiah College is 10.1% more expensive to attend than Elizabethtown College for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $35,020.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.1% higher at Messiah College than Elizabethtown College ($38,550.00 vs. $35,020.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Elizabethtown College ($24,120 vs. $26,723)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 9.4% lower than costs at Elizabethtown College ($11,560 vs. $12,642)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Elizabethtown College as Messiah College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 28.6% larger than aid received Elizabethtown College ($27,519 vs. $21,405)

Elizabethtown College vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 4 points higher than at Elizabethtown College (1125)
  • Incoming Elizabethtown College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Messiah College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Elizabethtown College (3.66)
  • Elizabethtown College has a higher acceptance rate (81.1%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Elizabethtown College vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Elizabethtown 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 Elizabethtown College.

  • The graduation rate at Elizabethtown College is higher than Messiah College (79% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Elizabethtown College earn on average $3,200 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($51,800 vs. $48,600)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $1,011 lower median federal student loan debt than Elizabethtown College graduates. ($25,989 vs. $27,000)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Elizabethtown College graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Elizabethtown College students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 83%)

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