Messiah College vs. Penn State

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

Messiah College Penn State
Location Grantham, PA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 3,231 50,028
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #167
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College Penn State
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $18,368
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $35,946
Room & Board $11,560 $12,744
Avg Net Price $24,120 $26,747
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $10,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 44%

Admission

Messiah College Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 85,784
Admitted 1,936 47,360
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 55.2%
Enrolled % 30.3% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/30 26/31
SAT Range 1090/1340 1210/1390
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

Academics

Messiah College Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

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

Diversity

Messiah College Penn State
% Men 37% 53%
% Women 63% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 83% 69%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Messiah College Penn State
% In-State 63% 51%
% Out-of-State 35% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 3,231 students)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or Penn State?

  • Messiah College is 109.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.2% higher at Messiah College than Penn State Main Campus ($38,550.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Penn State ($24,120 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 10.2% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($11,560 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Penn State Main Campus (100% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 173.4% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($27,519 vs. $10,066)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 73 points higher than at Messiah College (1129)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Messiah College (25)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (79.4%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Messiah College or Penn State? 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 Penn State and Messiah College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Messiah College (87% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $6,700 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,600)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $829 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($25,989 vs. $26,818)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Messiah College 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/