Messiah College vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny

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

Messiah College Penn State Greater Allegheny
Location Grantham, PA McKeesport, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,231 363
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #358
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College Penn State Greater Allegheny
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $23,086
Room & Board $11,560 $12,254
Avg Net Price $24,120 $19,505
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $10,269
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 85%

Admission

Messiah College Penn State Greater Allegheny
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 672
Admitted 1,936 589
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 87.6%
Enrolled % 30.3% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30
SAT Range 1090/1340 1040/1300
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 Greater Allegheny
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)

Outcomes

Messiah College Penn State Greater Allegheny
Graduation Rate 74% 47%
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 Greater Allegheny
% Men 37% 61%
% Women 63% 39%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 83% 61%
% Black 3% 19%
% Hispanic 4% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Messiah College Penn State Greater Allegheny
% In-State 63% 68%
% Out-of-State 35% 30%

Campus

Messiah College Penn State Greater Allegheny
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 Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 363 students)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Cost Comparison

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

  • Messiah College is 178.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Greater Allegheny for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 67% higher at Messiah College than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($38,550.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Messiah College ($19,505 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 6% lower than costs at Penn State Greater Allegheny ($11,560 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Penn State Greater Allegheny (100% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 168% larger than aid received Penn State Greater Allegheny ($27,519 vs. $10,269)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 186 points higher than at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Greater Allegheny (23)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny has a higher acceptance rate (87.6%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Penn State Greater Allegheny (74% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny 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 Greater Allegheny graduates. ($25,989 vs. $26,818)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Greater Allegheny 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/