Lehigh vs. Messiah College

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

Lehigh Messiah College
Location Bethlehem, PA Grantham, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 7,394 3,231
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #54 #358
Religious Affiliation - Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lehigh.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Lehigh Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $58,970 $38,550
Tuition (Out of State) $58,970 $38,550
Room & Board $15,890 $11,560
Avg Net Price $30,453 $24,120
Avg Grant Aid $44,116 $27,519
% Receiving Grant Aid 55% 100%

Admission

Lehigh Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,163 2,438
Admitted 5,607 1,936
Acceptance Rate 37% 79.4%
Enrolled % 26.9% 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 3.8
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Difficult
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 30/33 25/30
SAT Range 1340/1490 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 Jan 1, 2024

Academics

Lehigh Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Lehigh Messiah College
Graduation Rate 87% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,200 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,256 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $250 $268

Diversity

Lehigh Messiah College
% Men 54% 37%
% Women 46% 63%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 66% 83%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 9% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 8% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

Lehigh Messiah College
% In-State 21% 63%
% Out-of-State 71% 35%

Campus

Lehigh 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

  • Lehigh University is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (7,394 students vs. 3,231 students)

Lehigh vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lehigh or Messiah College?

  • Lehigh University is 53% more expensive to attend than Messiah College for in-state tuition ($58,970.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 53% higher at Lehigh than Messiah College ($58,970.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Lehigh ($24,120 vs. $30,453)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 37.5% lower than costs at Lehigh University ($11,560 vs. $15,890)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Lehigh University (100% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Lehigh University students is 60.3% larger than aid received Messiah College ($44,116 vs. $27,519)

Lehigh vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Lehigh University (1338) is 209 points higher than at Messiah College (1129)
  • Incoming Lehigh students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Messiah College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Lehigh students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at Messiah College (3.8)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (79.4%) than Lehigh (37%)

Lehigh vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lehigh 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 Lehigh.

  • The graduation rate at Lehigh is higher than Messiah College (87% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Lehigh University earn on average $40,600 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($89,200 vs. $48,600)
  • Lehigh University students graduate with a $1,733 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($24,256 vs. $25,989)
  • Lehigh graduates are paying $18 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($250 vs. $268)
  • More Lehigh graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Messiah College students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 85%)

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