Pacific vs. Messiah College

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

Pacific Messiah College
Location Forest Grove, OR Grantham, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,559 3,231
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #354 #358
Religious Affiliation - Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pacificu.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Pacific Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $50,884 $38,550
Tuition (Out of State) $50,884 $38,550
Room & Board $14,408 $11,560
Avg Net Price $33,472 $24,120
Avg Grant Aid $33,340 $27,519
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 100%

Admission

Pacific Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,759 2,438
Admitted 2,546 1,936
Acceptance Rate 92.3% 79.4%
Enrolled % 15.4% 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 3.8
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 25/30
SAT Range 1010/1350 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 25, 2025

Academics

Pacific Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (13%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Pacific Messiah College
Graduation Rate 61% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,800 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,156 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $270 $268

Diversity

Pacific Messiah College
% Men 32% 37%
% Women 68% 63%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 52% 83%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 13% 4%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 3% 0%
% Two or More Races 12% 3%
% International 2% 4%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

Pacific Messiah College
% In-State 38% 63%
% Out-of-State 61% 35%

Campus

Pacific Messiah College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Pacific University is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (3,559 students vs. 3,231 students)

Pacific vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Pacific or Messiah College?

  • Pacific University is 32% more expensive to attend than Messiah College for in-state tuition ($50,884.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 32% higher at Pacific than Messiah College ($50,884.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Pacific ($24,120 vs. $33,472)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 24.6% lower than costs at Pacific University ($11,560 vs. $14,408)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Pacific University (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Pacific University students is 21.2% larger than aid received Messiah College ($33,340 vs. $27,519)

Pacific vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 39 points higher than at Pacific (1090)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Pacific (24)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Pacific (3.73)
  • Pacific has a higher acceptance rate (92.3%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Pacific vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Pacific 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 Pacific.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Pacific University (74% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from Messiah College earn on average $1,800 more per year than Pacific graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $46,800)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $167 lower median federal student loan debt than Pacific graduates. ($25,989 vs. $26,156)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Pacific graduates. ($268 vs. $270)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pacific students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 78%)

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