Messiah College vs. Ursinus College

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

Messiah College Ursinus College
Location Grantham, PA Collegeville, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,231 1,527
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #214
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu ursinus.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College Ursinus College
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $58,016
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $58,016
Room & Board $11,560 $14,624
Avg Net Price $24,120 $33,546
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $40,075
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Messiah College Ursinus College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 3,237
Admitted 1,936 2,661
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 82.2%
Enrolled % 30.3% 14.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.53
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 28/32
SAT Range 1090/1340 1180/1380
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 May 1, 2025

Academics

Messiah College Ursinus College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (24%)
  • Biology (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

Messiah College Ursinus College
Graduation Rate 74% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $58,000
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $279

Diversity

Messiah College Ursinus College
% Men 37% 52%
% Women 63% 48%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 74%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Messiah College Ursinus College
% In-State 63% 63%
% Out-of-State 35% 36%

Campus

Messiah College Ursinus College
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 Ursinus College based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 1,527 students)

Messiah College vs. Ursinus College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or Ursinus College?

  • Ursinus College is 50.5% more expensive to attend than Messiah College for in-state tuition ($58,016.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 50.5% higher at Ursinus College than Messiah College ($58,016.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Ursinus College ($24,120 vs. $33,546)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 26.5% lower than costs at Ursinus College ($11,560 vs. $14,624)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College as Ursinus College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ursinus College students is 45.6% larger than aid received Messiah College ($40,075 vs. $27,519)

Messiah College vs. Ursinus College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Ursinus College (3.53)
  • Ursinus College has a higher acceptance rate (82.2%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. Ursinus College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Messiah College or Ursinus 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 Ursinus College and Messiah College.

  • The graduation rate at Ursinus College is higher than Messiah College (80% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Ursinus College earn on average $9,400 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $48,600)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $1,011 lower median federal student loan debt than Ursinus College graduates. ($25,989 vs. $27,000)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Ursinus College graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Ursinus College 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/