TCNJ vs. Messiah College

Should I go to The College of New Jersey or Messiah College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if TCNJ 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
The College of New Jersey vs. Messiah College comparison
The College of New Jersey Messiah College College 3 College 4
The College of New Jersey Messiah College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

TCNJ Messiah College
Location Ewing, NJ Grantham, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 7,629 3,231
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #175 #358
Religious Affiliation - Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tcnj.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

TCNJ Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $14,140 $38,550
Tuition (Out of State) $26,934 $38,550
Room & Board $14,144 $11,560
Avg Net Price $22,273 $24,120
Avg Grant Aid $11,826 $27,519
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 100%

Admission

TCNJ Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,302 2,438
Admitted 6,638 1,936
Acceptance Rate 64.4% 79.4%
Enrolled % 23.8% 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.29 3.8
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/30 25/30
SAT Range 1140/1350 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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

TCNJ Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

TCNJ Messiah College
Graduation Rate 87% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $62,100 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $240 $268

Diversity

TCNJ Messiah College
% Men 42% 37%
% Women 58% 63%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 66% 83%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 12% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 0% 4%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

TCNJ Messiah College
% In-State 95% 63%
% Out-of-State 5% 35%

Campus

TCNJ 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

  • The College of New Jersey is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (7,629 students vs. 3,231 students)

TCNJ vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TCNJ or Messiah College?

  • Messiah College is 172.6% more expensive to attend than TCNJ for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $14,140.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 43.1% higher at Messiah College than The College of New Jersey ($38,550.00 vs. $26,934.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The College of New Jersey than Messiah College ($22,273 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 22.4% lower than costs at The College of New Jersey ($11,560 vs. $14,144)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than The College of New Jersey (100% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 132.7% larger than aid received The College of New Jersey ($27,519 vs. $11,826)

TCNJ vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at The College of New Jersey (1227) is 98 points higher than at Messiah College (1129)
  • Incoming TCNJ students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Messiah College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.51 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at TCNJ (3.29)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (79.4%) than TCNJ (64.4%)

TCNJ vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TCNJ 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 TCNJ.

  • The graduation rate at TCNJ is higher than Messiah College (87% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from The College of New Jersey earn on average $13,500 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $48,600)
  • The College of New Jersey students graduate with a $2,739 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($23,250 vs. $25,989)
  • TCNJ 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 TCNJ students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 85%)

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