Messiah College vs. VCU

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

Messiah College VCU
Location Grantham, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 3,231 28,082
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #442
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College VCU
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $33,726
Room & Board $11,560 $12,279
Avg Net Price $24,120 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 83%

Admission

Messiah College VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 18,242
Admitted 1,936 16,600
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 91%
Enrolled % 30.3% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.75
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 22/30
SAT Range 1090/1340 1030/1290
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 Jan 18, 2025

Academics

Messiah College VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Messiah College VCU
Graduation Rate 74% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $268 $240

Diversity

Messiah College VCU
% Men 37% 36%
% Women 63% 64%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 83% 50%
% Black 3% 18%
% Hispanic 4% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Messiah College VCU
% In-State 63% 92%
% Out-of-State 35% 6%

Campus

Messiah College VCU
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

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 3,231 students)

Messiah College vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or VCU?

  • Messiah College is 209.4% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $12,458.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.3% higher at Messiah College than Virginia Commonwealth University ($38,550.00 vs. $33,726.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Commonwealth University than Messiah College ($21,294 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 6.2% lower than costs at Virginia Commonwealth University ($11,560 vs. $12,279)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Virginia Commonwealth University (100% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 118.7% larger than aid received Virginia Commonwealth University ($27,519 vs. $12,583)

Messiah College vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 32 points higher than at VCU (1097)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at VCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at VCU (3.75)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (91%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Virginia Commonwealth University (74% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Messiah College earn on average $1,100 more per year than VCU graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $47,500)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University students graduate with a $2,739 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($23,250 vs. $25,989)
  • VCU graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($240 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VCU students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 56%)

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