Messiah College vs. Penn State Berks

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

Messiah College Penn State Berks
Location Grantham, PA Reading, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,231 2,077
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #657
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College Penn State Berks
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $25,854
Room & Board $11,560 $14,334
Avg Net Price $24,120 $21,728
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $8,528
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 66%

Admission

Messiah College Penn State Berks
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 5,605
Admitted 1,936 5,453
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 97.3%
Enrolled % 30.3% 11.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.39
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 23/28
SAT Range 1090/1340 1090/1290
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 Berks
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

Messiah College Penn State Berks
Graduation Rate 74% 55%
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 Berks
% Men 37% 59%
% Women 63% 41%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 83% 68%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 4% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Messiah College Penn State Berks
% In-State 63% 64%
% Out-of-State 35% 30%

Campus

Messiah College Penn State Berks
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

  • Messiah College is larger than than Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 2,077 students)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Berks Cost Comparison

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

  • Messiah College is 150.5% more expensive to attend than Penn State Berks for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.1% higher at Messiah College than Penn State Berks ($38,550.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Berks than Messiah College ($21,728 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 24% lower than costs at Penn State Berks ($11,560 vs. $14,334)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Penn State Berks (100% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 222.7% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($27,519 vs. $8,528)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Berks Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 151 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.41 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Berks Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Penn State Berks (74% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Berks 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 Berks graduates. ($25,989 vs. $26,818)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks 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/