Messiah College vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

Messiah College Penn State Harrisburg
Location Grantham, PA Middletown, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,231 4,572
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #613
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $25,854
Room & Board $11,560 $14,978
Avg Net Price $24,120 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 63%

Admission

Messiah College Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 9,925
Admitted 1,936 9,483
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 95.5%
Enrolled % 30.3% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.48
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 24/28
SAT Range 1090/1340 1100/1310
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 Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

Messiah College Penn State Harrisburg
Graduation Rate 74% 63%
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 Harrisburg
% Men 37% 60%
% Women 63% 40%
Racial Diversity Very Low High
HBCU No No
% White 83% 59%
% Black 3% 11%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 10%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Messiah College Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 63% 46%
% Out-of-State 35% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 3,231 students)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Messiah College is 150.5% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg ($38,550.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Messiah College ($22,096 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 29.6% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($11,560 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Penn State Harrisburg (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 209.8% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($27,519 vs. $8,882)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 86 points higher than at Penn State Harrisburg (1043)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (23)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.32 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Penn State Harrisburg (3.48)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Penn State Harrisburg (74% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg graduates. ($25,989 vs. $26,818)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Harrisburg graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Harrisburg 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/