Howard vs. Messiah College

Should I go to Howard University or Messiah College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Howard 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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Howard University vs. Messiah College comparison
Howard University Messiah College College 3 College 4
Howard University Messiah College
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Overview

Howard Messiah College
Location Washington, DC Grantham, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 12,886 3,231
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #318 #358
Religious Affiliation - Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website howard.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Howard Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $30,584 $38,550
Tuition (Out of State) $30,584 $38,550
Room & Board $15,880 $11,560
Avg Net Price $28,279 $24,120
Avg Grant Aid $20,063 $27,519
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

Howard Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,188 2,438
Admitted 10,253 1,936
Acceptance Rate 53.4% 79.4%
Enrolled % 24.3% 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.66 3.8
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/26 25/30
SAT Range 1050/1290 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 Feb 15, 2025

Academics

Howard Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Howard Messiah College
Graduation Rate 63% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,800 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $279 $268

Diversity

Howard Messiah College
% Men 29% 37%
% Women 71% 63%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 83%
% Black 91% 3%
% Hispanic 0% 4%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 5% 4%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Howard Messiah College
% In-State 1% 63%
% Out-of-State 91% 35%

Campus

Howard 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

  • Howard University is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (12,886 students vs. 3,231 students)

Howard vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Howard or Messiah College?

  • Messiah College is 26% more expensive to attend than Howard for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $30,584.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 26% higher at Messiah College than Howard University ($38,550.00 vs. $30,584.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Howard ($24,120 vs. $28,279)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 37.4% lower than costs at Howard University ($11,560 vs. $15,880)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Howard University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 37.2% larger than aid received Howard University ($27,519 vs. $20,063)

Howard vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 24 points higher than at Howard (1105)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Howard (24)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Howard (3.66)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (79.4%) than Howard (53.4%)

Howard vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Howard 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 Howard.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Howard University (74% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Howard University 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 Howard graduates. ($25,989 vs. $27,000)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Howard graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Howard students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 33%)

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