Juniata College vs. Messiah College

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

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Juniata College vs. Messiah College comparison
Juniata College Messiah College College 3 College 4
Juniata College Messiah College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Juniata College Messiah College
Location Huntingdon, PA Grantham, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,212 3,231
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #282 #358
Religious Affiliation - Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website juniata.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Juniata College Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $53,256 $38,550
Tuition (Out of State) $53,256 $38,550
Room & Board $13,050 $11,560
Avg Net Price $29,926 $24,120
Avg Grant Aid $36,116 $27,519
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Juniata College Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,563 2,438
Admitted 1,952 1,936
Acceptance Rate 76.2% 79.4%
Enrolled % 15.2% 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 3.8
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/30 25/30
SAT Range 1120/1340 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 Mar 15, 2025

Academics

Juniata College Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Juniata College Messiah College
Graduation Rate 76% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,100 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 84% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $279 $268

Diversity

Juniata College Messiah College
% Men 47% 37%
% Women 53% 63%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 83%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 4% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 8% 4%
% Unknown Race 6% 1%

Students

Juniata College Messiah College
% In-State 56% 63%
% Out-of-State 32% 35%

Campus

Juniata 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 Juniata College based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 1,212 students)

Juniata College vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

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

  • Juniata College is 38.1% more expensive to attend than Messiah College for in-state tuition ($53,256.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.1% higher at Juniata College than Messiah College ($53,256.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Juniata College ($24,120 vs. $29,926)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 12.9% lower than costs at Juniata College ($11,560 vs. $13,050)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Juniata College as Messiah College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Juniata College students is 31.2% larger than aid received Messiah College ($36,116 vs. $27,519)

Juniata College vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Juniata College students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at Messiah College (3.8)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (79.4%) than Juniata College (76.2%)

Juniata College vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Juniata 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 Juniata College.

  • The graduation rate at Juniata College is higher than Messiah College (76% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Juniata College earn on average $4,500 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($53,100 vs. $48,600)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $1,011 lower median federal student loan debt than Juniata College graduates. ($25,989 vs. $27,000)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Juniata College graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Juniata College students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 84%)

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