Mount St. Mary's University vs. Messiah College

Should I go to Mount St Mary's University or Messiah College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Mount St. Mary's University or Messiah 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Mount St Mary's University vs. Messiah College comparison
Mount St Mary's University Messiah College College 3 College 4
Mount St Mary's University Messiah College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Mount St. Mary's University Messiah College
Location Emmitsburg, MD Grantham, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,499 3,344
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #341 #362
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website msmary.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Mount St. Mary's University Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $45,660 $39,700
Tuition (Out of State) $45,660 $39,700
Room & Board $14,750 $11,910
Avg Net Price $25,298 $29,882
Avg Grant Aid $36,632 $24,223
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Mount St. Mary's University Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,422 2,375
Admitted 3,896 1,864
Acceptance Rate 71.9% 78.5%
Enrolled % 12.3% 32%
Avg High School GPA 3.36 3.8
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Moderate Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/23 22/30
SAT Range 1030/1280 1100/1340
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 Mar 1, 2026

Academics

Mount St. Mary's University Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Mount St. Mary's University Messiah College
Graduation Rate 76% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,100 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $268 $268

Diversity

Mount St. Mary's University Messiah College
% Men 13% 6%
% Women 12% 17%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 68% 83%
% Black 12% 3%
% Hispanic 9% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Mount St. Mary's University Messiah College
% In-State 56% 63%
% Out-of-State 40% 36%

Campus

Mount St. Mary's University Messiah College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Messiah College is larger than than Mount St. Mary's University based on total student enrollment (3,344 students vs. 2,499 students)

Mount St. Mary's University vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mount St. Mary's University or Messiah College?

  • Mount St Mary's University is 15% more expensive to attend than Messiah College for in-state tuition ($45,660.00 vs. $39,700.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 15% higher at Mount St. Mary's University than Messiah College ($45,660.00 vs. $39,700.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Mount St Mary's University than Messiah College ($25,298 vs. $29,882)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 23.8% lower than costs at Mount St Mary's University ($11,910 vs. $14,750)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Mount St Mary's University as Messiah College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mount St Mary's University students is 51.2% larger than aid received Messiah College ($36,632 vs. $24,223)

Mount St. Mary's University vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 116 points higher than at Mount St. Mary's University (1013)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Mount St. Mary's University (21)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.44 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Mount St. Mary's University (3.36)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (78.5%) than Mount St. Mary's University (71.9%)

Mount St. Mary's University vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mount St. Mary's University or Messiah 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 Messiah College and Mount St. Mary's University.

  • The graduation rate at Mount St. Mary's University is higher than Messiah College (76% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Mount St Mary's University earn on average $7,500 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($56,100 vs. $48,600)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $11 lower median federal student loan debt than Mount St. Mary's University graduates. ($25,989 vs. $26,000)
  • Messiah College and Mount St. Mary's University graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($268 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mount St. Mary's University students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 77%)

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