Manhattan College vs. Messiah College

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

 Manhattan College Messiah College
Location Riverdale, NY Grantham, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,575 3,231
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #170 #358
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website manhattan.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Manhattan College Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $44,100 $38,550
Tuition (Out of State) $44,100 $38,550
Room & Board $18,440 $11,560
Avg Net Price $29,535 $24,120
Avg Grant Aid $31,882 $27,519
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 Manhattan College Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,930 2,438
Admitted 8,172 1,936
Acceptance Rate 82.3%Open 79.4%
Enrolled % 9.2%Open 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.8
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/30 25/30
SAT Range 1140/1330 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 Aug 31, 2025

Academics

 Manhattan College Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (25%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

 Manhattan College Messiah College
Graduation Rate 72% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,700 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $268 $268

Diversity

 Manhattan College Messiah College
% Men 57% 37%
% Women 43% 63%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 57% 83%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 21% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 3% 4%
% Unknown Race 8% 1%

Students

 Manhattan College Messiah College
% In-State 72% 63%
% Out-of-State 25% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Manhattan College is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (3,575 students vs. 3,231 students)

Manhattan College vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

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

  • Manhattan College is 14.4% more expensive to attend than Messiah College for in-state tuition ($44,100.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.4% higher at Manhattan College than Messiah College ($44,100.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Manhattan College ($24,120 vs. $29,535)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 59.5% lower than costs at Manhattan College ($11,560 vs. $18,440)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Manhattan College as Messiah College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Manhattan College students is 15.9% larger than aid received Messiah College ($31,882 vs. $27,519)

Manhattan College vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 32 points higher than at Manhattan College (1097)
  • Incoming Manhattan College students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at Messiah College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Manhattan College (3.63)
  • Manhattan College has a higher acceptance rate (82.3%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Manhattan College vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Manhattan 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 Manhattan College.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Manhattan College (74% vs. 72%)
  • Graduates from Manhattan College earn on average $18,100 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($66,700 vs. $48,600)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $11 lower median federal student loan debt than Manhattan College graduates. ($25,989 vs. $26,000)
  • Messiah College and Manhattan College graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($268 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Manhattan College students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 82%)

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