Messiah University vs. Penn State

Deciding between Messiah University and Penn State Main Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Messiah University
Penn State Main Campus

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA
  • Penn State University Park, PA
  • Setting
  • Messiah University Large Suburban
  • Penn State Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • Messiah University 3,373
  • Penn State 50,737
  • Type
  • Messiah University Private 4 Year
  • Penn State Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Messiah University #338
  • Penn State #185
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Messiah University Interdenominational
  • Penn State -
  • Status
  • Messiah University Non-profit
  • Penn State Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Messiah University
  • Penn State

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Messiah University $42,240
  • Penn State $20,644
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Messiah University $42,240
  • Penn State $41,790
  • Room & Board
  • Messiah University $13,098
  • Penn State $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • Messiah University $29,408
  • Penn State $27,889
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Messiah University $26,576
  • Penn State $11,336
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Messiah University 100%
  • Penn State 37%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Messiah University 2,458
  • Penn State 88,478
  • Admitted
  • Messiah University 1,941
  • Penn State 53,579
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Messiah University 79%
  • Penn State 60.6%
  • Enrolled
  • Messiah University 29.1%
  • Penn State 17.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Messiah University 1230
  • Penn State 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • Messiah University 28
  • Penn State 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • Messiah University 3.8
  • Penn State -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Messiah University A-
  • Penn State -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Messiah University Difficult
  • Penn State Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • Messiah University
  • Penn State Low
  • ACT Range
  • Messiah University 26/31
  • Penn State 27/32
  • SAT Range
  • Messiah University 1110/1350
  • Penn State 1240/1420
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Messiah University Test optional
  • Penn State Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Messiah University
  • Penn State

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Messiah University 12:1
  • Penn State 16:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Messiah University
    • Education (19%)
    • Business (13%)
    • Health Professions (10%)
    • Psychology (7%)
    • Biology (6%)
  • Penn State
    • Business (16%)
    • Engineering (12%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
    • Social Sciences (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Messiah University 74%
  • Penn State 87%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Messiah University $48,600
  • Penn State $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Messiah University 85%
  • Penn State 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Messiah University $25,989
  • Penn State $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Messiah University $268
  • Penn State $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Messiah University 38%
  • Penn State 52%
  • % Women
  • Messiah University 62%
  • Penn State 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Messiah University Very Low
  • Penn State Medium
  • HBCU
  • Messiah University No
  • Penn State No
  • % White
  • Messiah University 83%
  • Penn State 69%
  • % Asian
  • Messiah University 2%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Black
  • Messiah University 3%
  • Penn State 4%
  • % Hispanic
  • Messiah University 4%
  • Penn State 6%
  • % Native American
  • Messiah University 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Messiah University 0%
  • Penn State 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Messiah University 3%
  • Penn State 3%
  • % International
  • Messiah University 4%
  • Penn State 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Messiah University 1%
  • Penn State 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Messiah University 66%
  • Penn State 53%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Messiah University 33%
  • Penn State 40%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Messiah University Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Messiah University No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • Messiah University Yes
  • Penn State Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Messiah University No
  • Penn State Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • Messiah University Yes
  • Penn State Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, PA with Penn State Main Campus in University Park, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Penn State Main Campus is larger than Messiah University based on total student enrollment (50,737 students vs. 3,373 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Messiah University is located in Mechanicsburg, PA (Large Suburban setting); Penn State Main Campus is in University Park, PA (Small City setting).
  • Messiah University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Main Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Messiah University 12:1; Penn State Main Campus 16:1.

Messiah University vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah University or Penn State? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Main Campus than Messiah University ($27,889 vs. $29,408).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah University are 9.5% lower than at Penn State Main Campus ($13,098 vs. $14,474).
  • Messiah University is 104.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State (about $21,596 more per year; $42,240.00 vs. $20,644.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 1.1% higher at Messiah University than at Penn State Main Campus (about $450 more per year; $42,240.00 vs. $41,790.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Messiah University than at Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 37%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah University students is 134.4% larger than aid received by Penn State Main Campus students ($26,576 vs. $11,336).

Messiah University vs. Penn State Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Messiah University or Penn State? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State and Messiah University.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Main Campus (1330) is 100 points higher than at Messiah University (1230).
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (29 vs. 28 at Messiah University).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Messiah University 1110/1350; Penn State Main Campus 1240/1420.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Messiah University 26/31; Penn State Main Campus 27/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Messiah University - Test optional; Penn State - Test optional.
  • Messiah University has a higher acceptance rate (79%) than Penn State (60.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 29.1% at Messiah University vs. 17.1% at Penn State.

Messiah University vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Messiah University and Penn State? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Penn State Main Campus's six-year graduation rate (87%) is higher than Messiah University's (74%).
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn a median of about $6,700 more per year than Messiah University graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $48,600), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Messiah University graduates have a $829 lower median loan debt than Penn State graduates ($25,989 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, Messiah University graduates have an estimated $9 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State graduates ($268 vs. $277).
  • More Messiah University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.