Wheaton College vs. Messiah College

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

Wheaton College Messiah College
Location Norton, MA Grantham, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,667 3,231
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #180 #358
Religious Affiliation - Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wheatoncollege.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wheaton College Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $59,750 $38,550
Tuition (Out of State) $59,750 $38,550
Room & Board $14,800 $11,560
Avg Net Price $32,863 $24,120
Avg Grant Aid $41,665 $27,519
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 100%

Admission

Wheaton College Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,031 2,438
Admitted 3,204 1,936
Acceptance Rate 79.5% 79.4%
Enrolled % 15.4% 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.8
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 27/33 25/30
SAT Range 1260/1390 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 15, 2025

Academics

Wheaton College Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Psychology (19%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Ethnic Studies (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Wheaton College Messiah College
Graduation Rate 77% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $268 $268

Diversity

Wheaton College Messiah College
% Men 37% 37%
% Women 63% 63%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 67% 83%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 7% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 10% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Wheaton College Messiah College
% In-State 38% 63%
% Out-of-State 57% 35%

Campus

Wheaton College 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

  • Messiah College is larger than than Wheaton College based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 1,667 students)

Wheaton College vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wheaton College or Messiah College?

  • Wheaton College is 55% more expensive to attend than Messiah College for in-state tuition ($59,750.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 55% higher at Wheaton College than Messiah College ($59,750.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Wheaton College ($24,120 vs. $32,863)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 28% lower than costs at Wheaton College ($11,560 vs. $14,800)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Wheaton College (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wheaton College students is 51.4% larger than aid received Messiah College ($41,665 vs. $27,519)

Wheaton College vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.32 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Wheaton College (3.48)
  • Wheaton College has a higher acceptance rate (79.5%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Wheaton College vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wheaton College 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 Wheaton College.

  • The graduation rate at Wheaton College is higher than Messiah College (77% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Wheaton College earn on average $5,100 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $48,600)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $11 lower median federal student loan debt than Wheaton College graduates. ($25,989 vs. $26,000)
  • Messiah College and Wheaton College graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($268 vs. $268)
  • More Wheaton College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Messiah College students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 85%)

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