Messiah College vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College

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

 Messiah College Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Location Grantham, PA Erie, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,344 3,323
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #362 #538
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Messiah College Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Tuition (In State) $39,700 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $39,700 $26,112
Room & Board $11,910 $14,774
Avg Net Price $29,882 $20,964
Avg Grant Aid $24,223 $10,930
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 66%

Admission

 Messiah College Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,375 4,827
Admitted 1,864 4,620
Acceptance Rate 78.5% 95.7%
Enrolled % 32% 18.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.49
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/30 23/28
SAT Range 1100/1340 1110/1320
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 Erie-Behrend College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

 Messiah College Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Graduation Rate 74% 66%
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 Erie-Behrend College
% Men 6% 2%
% Women 17% 1%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 79%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 4% 9%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Messiah College Penn State Erie-Behrend College
% In-State 63% 74%
% Out-of-State 36% 19%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Messiah College is larger than than Penn State Erie-Behrend College based on total student enrollment (3,344 students vs. 3,323 students)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College Cost Comparison

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

  • Messiah College is 158% more expensive to attend than Penn State Erie-Behrend College for in-state tuition ($39,700.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 52% higher at Messiah College than Penn State Erie Behrend College ($39,700.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Erie Behrend College than Messiah College ($20,964 vs. $29,882)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 24% lower than costs at Penn State Erie Behrend College ($11,910 vs. $14,774)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Penn State Erie Behrend College (100% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 121.6% larger than aid received Penn State Erie Behrend College ($24,223 vs. $10,930)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 75 points higher than at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (1054)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (23)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.31 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (3.49)
  • Penn State Erie-Behrend College has a higher acceptance rate (95.7%) than Messiah College (78.5%)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Penn State Erie Behrend College (74% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Erie Behrend College 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 Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($25,989 vs. $26,818)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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/