Messiah College vs. Liberty University

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

Messiah College Liberty University
Location Grantham, PA Lynchburg, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 3,231 96,709
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #852
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational Baptist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu liberty.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College Liberty University
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $21,374
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $21,374
Room & Board $11,560 $12,350
Avg Net Price $24,120 $29,913
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $12,471
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 98%

Admission

Messiah College Liberty University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 30,943
Admitted 1,936 30,723
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 99.3%Open
Enrolled % 30.3% 19.9%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.56
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 21/29
SAT Range 1090/1340 1040/1250
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 Liberty University
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (17%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (14%)
  • General Studies (14%)
  • Health Professions (6%)

Outcomes

Messiah College Liberty University
Graduation Rate 74% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $39,100
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 36%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $24,166
Median Loan Payment $268 $249

Diversity

Messiah College Liberty University
% Men 37% 41%
% Women 63% 59%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 83% 46%
% Black 3% 13%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 31%

Students

Messiah College Liberty University
% In-State 63% 22%
% Out-of-State 35% 76%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Liberty University is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (96,709 students vs. 3,231 students)

Messiah College vs. Liberty University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or Liberty University?

  • Messiah College is 80.4% more expensive to attend than Liberty University for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $21,374.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 80.4% higher at Messiah College than Liberty University ($38,550.00 vs. $21,374.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Liberty University ($24,120 vs. $29,913)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 6.8% lower than costs at Liberty University ($11,560 vs. $12,350)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Liberty University (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 120.7% larger than aid received Liberty University ($27,519 vs. $12,471)

Messiah College vs. Liberty University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 59 points higher than at Liberty University (1070)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Liberty University (24)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Liberty University (3.56)
  • Liberty University has a higher acceptance rate (99.3%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. Liberty University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Messiah College or Liberty University? 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 Liberty University and Messiah College.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Liberty University (74% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Messiah College earn on average $9,500 more per year than Liberty University graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $39,100)
  • Liberty University students graduate with a $1,823 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($24,166 vs. $25,989)
  • Liberty University graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($249 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Liberty University students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 36%)

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