Messiah College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

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

Messiah College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Grantham, PA Center Valley, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,231 888
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #358
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $24,318
Room & Board $11,560 $12,984
Avg Net Price $24,120 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 78%

Admission

Messiah College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 1,806
Admitted 1,936 1,699
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 94.1%
Enrolled % 30.3% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.42
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 22/26
SAT Range 1090/1340 1100/1290
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

Academics

Messiah College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

Messiah College Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 74% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

Messiah College Penn State Lehigh Valley
% Men 37% 57%
% Women 63% 43%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 83% 64%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 4% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Messiah College Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 63% 93%
% Out-of-State 35% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Messiah College is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 888 students)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or Penn State Lehigh Valley?

  • Messiah College is 163.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 58.5% higher at Messiah College than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($38,550.00 vs. $24,318.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Messiah College ($18,142 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 12.3% lower than costs at Penn State Lehigh Valley ($11,560 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Penn State Lehigh Valley (100% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 178.4% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($27,519 vs. $9,886)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 110 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (23)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.38 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Messiah College or Penn State Lehigh Valley? 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 Penn State Lehigh Valley and Messiah College.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (74% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn on average $6,700 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,600)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $829 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($25,989 vs. $26,818)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 69%)

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