Messiah College vs. EMU

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

Messiah College EMU
Location Grantham, PA Harrisonburg, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 3,231 1,334
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #215
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational Mennonite Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu emu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College EMU
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $40,590
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $40,590
Room & Board $11,560 $12,240
Avg Net Price $24,120 $23,783
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $30,460
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 96%

Admission

Messiah College EMU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 1,144
Admitted 1,936 1,138
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 99.5%
Enrolled % 30.3% 17.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.7
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Elite
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 25/34
SAT Range 1090/1340 1040/1590
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

Messiah College EMU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Health Professions (30%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • General Studies (5%)

Outcomes

Messiah College EMU
Graduation Rate 74% 66%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $43,900
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $23,450
Median Loan Payment $268 $242

Diversity

Messiah College EMU
% Men 37% 34%
% Women 63% 66%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 71%
% Black 3% 10%
% Hispanic 4% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Messiah College EMU
% In-State 63% 68%
% Out-of-State 35% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Messiah College is larger than than EMU based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 1,334 students)

Messiah College vs. EMU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or EMU?

  • Eastern Mennonite University is 5.3% more expensive to attend than Messiah College for in-state tuition ($40,590.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.3% higher at EMU than Messiah College ($40,590.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Eastern Mennonite University than Messiah College ($23,783 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 5.9% lower than costs at Eastern Mennonite University ($11,560 vs. $12,240)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Eastern Mennonite University (100% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Eastern Mennonite University students is 10.7% larger than aid received Messiah College ($30,460 vs. $27,519)

Messiah College vs. EMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 120 points higher than at EMU (1009)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at EMU (22)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at EMU (3.7)
  • EMU has a higher acceptance rate (99.5%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. EMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Messiah College or EMU? 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 EMU and Messiah College.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Eastern Mennonite University (74% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from Messiah College earn on average $4,700 more per year than EMU graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $43,900)
  • Eastern Mennonite University students graduate with a $2,539 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($23,450 vs. $25,989)
  • EMU graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($242 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former EMU students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 80%)

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