Messiah College vs. URI

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

Messiah College URI
Location Grantham, PA Kingston, RI
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,344 17,351
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #362 #353
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College URI
Tuition (In State) $39,700 $14,116
Tuition (Out of State) $39,700 $33,512
Room & Board $11,910 $14,900
Avg Net Price $29,882 $20,964
Avg Grant Aid $24,223 $12,803
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 98%

Admission

Messiah College URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,375 25,391
Admitted 1,864 19,568
Acceptance Rate 78.5% 77.1%
Enrolled % 32% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.58
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/30 26/31
SAT Range 1100/1340 1030/1270
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 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

Messiah College URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

Messiah College URI
Graduation Rate 74% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $268 $242

Diversity

Messiah College URI
% Men 6% 6%
% Women 17% 10%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 71%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 4% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 7%

Students

Messiah College URI
% In-State 63% 39%
% Out-of-State 36% 60%

Campus

Messiah College URI
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

  • University of Rhode Island is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (17,351 students vs. 3,344 students)

Messiah College vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or URI?

  • Messiah College is 181.2% more expensive to attend than URI for in-state tuition ($39,700.00 vs. $14,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.5% higher at Messiah College than University of Rhode Island ($39,700.00 vs. $33,512.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Rhode Island than Messiah College ($20,964 vs. $29,882)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 25.1% lower than costs at University of Rhode Island ($11,910 vs. $14,900)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than University of Rhode Island (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 89.2% larger than aid received University of Rhode Island ($24,223 vs. $12,803)

Messiah College vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 52 points higher than at URI (1077)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at URI (24)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at URI (3.58)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (78.5%) than URI (77.1%)

Messiah College vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than University of Rhode Island (74% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $7,600 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $48,600)
  • University of Rhode Island students graduate with a $2,551 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($23,438 vs. $25,989)
  • URI graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($242 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former URI 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/