Messiah College vs. JMU

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

Messiah College JMU
Location Grantham, PA Harrisonburg, VA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 3,231 22,224
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #260
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu jmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College JMU
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $7,684
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $24,744
Room & Board $11,560 $12,040
Avg Net Price $24,120 $18,274
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $10,081
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 33%

Admission

Messiah College JMU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 30,727
Admitted 1,936 24,062
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 78.3%
Enrolled % 30.3% 20.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.57
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 23/29
SAT Range 1090/1340 1140/1320
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 15, 2024

Academics

Messiah College JMU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)

Outcomes

Messiah College JMU
Graduation Rate 74% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $60,300
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $20,899
Median Loan Payment $268 $216

Diversity

Messiah College JMU
% Men 37% 42%
% Women 63% 58%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 76%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Messiah College JMU
% In-State 63% 73%
% Out-of-State 35% 26%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • James Madison University is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (22,224 students vs. 3,231 students)

Messiah College vs. JMU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or JMU?

  • Messiah College is 401.7% more expensive to attend than JMU for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $7,684.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 55.8% higher at Messiah College than James Madison University ($38,550.00 vs. $24,744.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at James Madison University than Messiah College ($18,274 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 4.2% lower than costs at James Madison University ($11,560 vs. $12,040)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than James Madison University (100% vs. 33%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 173% larger than aid received James Madison University ($27,519 vs. $10,081)

Messiah College vs. JMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at James Madison University (1134) is 5 points higher than at Messiah College (1129)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at JMU (25)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at JMU (3.57)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (79.4%) than JMU (78.3%)

Messiah College vs. JMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Messiah College or JMU? 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 JMU and Messiah College.

  • The graduation rate at JMU is higher than Messiah College (81% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from James Madison University earn on average $11,700 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($60,300 vs. $48,600)
  • James Madison University students graduate with a $5,090 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($20,899 vs. $25,989)
  • JMU graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($216 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former JMU students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 83%)

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