ONU vs. Messiah College

Should I go to Ohio Northern University or Messiah College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ONU 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.

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Ohio Northern University vs. Messiah College comparison
Ohio Northern University Messiah College College 3 College 4
Ohio Northern University Messiah College
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Overview

ONU Messiah College
Location Ada, OH Grantham, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,015 3,231
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #211 #358
Religious Affiliation United Methodist Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website onu.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ONU Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $35,480 $38,550
Tuition (Out of State) $35,480 $38,550
Room & Board $12,900 $11,560
Avg Net Price $27,398 $24,120
Avg Grant Aid $24,235 $27,519
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 100%

Admission

ONU Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,625 2,438
Admitted 3,602 1,936
Acceptance Rate 54.4% 79.4%
Enrolled % 18.5% 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.78 3.8
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/30 25/30
SAT Range 1160/1340 1090/1340
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 Aug 15, 2025

Academics

ONU Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

ONU Messiah College
Graduation Rate 65% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $71,200 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $279 $268

Diversity

ONU Messiah College
% Men 52% 37%
% Women 48% 63%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 84% 83%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 1% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

ONU Messiah College
% In-State 83% 63%
% Out-of-State 16% 35%

Campus

ONU Messiah College
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

  • Messiah College is larger than than ONU based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 3,015 students)

ONU vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ONU or Messiah College?

  • Messiah College is 8.7% more expensive to attend than ONU for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $35,480.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.7% higher at Messiah College than Ohio Northern University ($38,550.00 vs. $35,480.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than ONU ($24,120 vs. $27,398)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 11.6% lower than costs at Ohio Northern University ($11,560 vs. $12,900)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Ohio Northern University (100% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 13.6% larger than aid received Ohio Northern University ($27,519 vs. $24,235)

ONU vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Ohio Northern University (1158) is 29 points higher than at Messiah College (1129)
  • Incoming ONU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Messiah College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at ONU (3.78)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (79.4%) than ONU (54.4%)

ONU vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ONU 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 ONU.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Ohio Northern University (74% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Ohio Northern University earn on average $22,600 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($71,200 vs. $48,600)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $1,011 lower median federal student loan debt than ONU graduates. ($25,989 vs. $27,000)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than ONU graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ONU students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 82%)

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