Messiah College vs. Mary Washington College

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

Messiah College Mary Washington College
Location Grantham, PA Fredericksburg, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small Suburban
Enrollment 3,231 3,757
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #283
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu umw.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College Mary Washington College
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $8,938
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $25,858
Room & Board $11,560 $12,090
Avg Net Price $24,120 $21,863
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $9,046
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 93%

Admission

Messiah College Mary Washington College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 4,709
Admitted 1,936 4,040
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 85.8%
Enrolled % 30.3% 18.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.71
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 25/30
SAT Range 1090/1340 1170/1340
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 Mary Washington College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (12%)
  • General Studies (11%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

Messiah College Mary Washington College
Graduation Rate 74% 71%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $55,500
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $268 $222

Diversity

Messiah College Mary Washington College
% Men 37% 37%
% Women 63% 63%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 70%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 4% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 6%

Students

Messiah College Mary Washington College
% In-State 63% 87%
% Out-of-State 35% 10%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Mary Washington is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (3,757 students vs. 3,231 students)

Messiah College vs. Mary Washington College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or Mary Washington College?

  • Messiah College is 331.3% more expensive to attend than Mary Washington College for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $8,938.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.1% higher at Messiah College than University of Mary Washington ($38,550.00 vs. $25,858.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Mary Washington than Messiah College ($21,863 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 4.6% lower than costs at University of Mary Washington ($11,560 vs. $12,090)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than University of Mary Washington (100% vs. 93%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 204.2% larger than aid received University of Mary Washington ($27,519 vs. $9,046)

Messiah College vs. Mary Washington College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 19 points higher than at Mary Washington College (1110)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at Mary Washington College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Mary Washington College (3.71)
  • Mary Washington College has a higher acceptance rate (85.8%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. Mary Washington College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Messiah College or Mary Washington 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 Mary Washington College and Messiah College.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than University of Mary Washington (74% vs. 71%)
  • Graduates from University of Mary Washington earn on average $6,900 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($55,500 vs. $48,600)
  • University of Mary Washington students graduate with a $4,489 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($21,500 vs. $25,989)
  • Mary Washington College graduates are paying $46 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($222 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mary Washington College students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 80%)

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