Messiah College vs. Susquahanna

Should I go to Messiah College or Susquehanna University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Messiah College or Susquahanna 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. Susquehanna University comparison
Messiah College Susquehanna University College 3 College 4
Messiah College Susquehanna University
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Overview

Messiah College Susquahanna
Location Grantham, PA Selinsgrove, PA
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 3,231 2,231
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #320
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu susqu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College Susquahanna
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $54,440
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $54,440
Room & Board $11,560 $14,960
Avg Net Price $24,120 $28,605
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $40,914
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 93%

Admission

Messiah College Susquahanna
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 6,375
Admitted 1,936 4,889
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 76.7%
Enrolled % 30.3% 11.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.67
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 23/30
SAT Range 1090/1340 1088/1280
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 Susquahanna
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

Messiah College Susquahanna
Graduation Rate 74% 77%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $57,000
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $279

Diversity

Messiah College Susquahanna
% Men 37% 42%
% Women 63% 58%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 81%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

Messiah College Susquahanna
% In-State 63% 62%
% Out-of-State 35% 38%

Campus

Messiah College Susquahanna
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 Susquahanna based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 2,231 students)

Messiah College vs. Susquahanna Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or Susquahanna?

  • Susquehanna University is 41.2% more expensive to attend than Messiah College for in-state tuition ($54,440.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 41.2% higher at Susquahanna than Messiah College ($54,440.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Susquahanna ($24,120 vs. $28,605)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 29.4% lower than costs at Susquehanna University ($11,560 vs. $14,960)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Susquehanna University (100% vs. 93%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Susquehanna University students is 48.7% larger than aid received Messiah College ($40,914 vs. $27,519)

Messiah College vs. Susquahanna Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Susquahanna (3.67)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (79.4%) than Susquahanna (76.7%)

Messiah College vs. Susquahanna Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Messiah College or Susquahanna? 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 Susquahanna and Messiah College.

  • The graduation rate at Susquahanna is higher than Messiah College (77% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Susquehanna University earn on average $8,400 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($57,000 vs. $48,600)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $1,011 lower median federal student loan debt than Susquahanna graduates. ($25,989 vs. $27,000)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Susquahanna graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Susquahanna students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 83%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/