Messiah College vs. Penn State Mont Alto

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

Messiah College Penn State Mont Alto
Location Grantham, PA Mont Alto, PA
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 3,231 670
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 Mont Alto
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $23,086
Room & Board $11,560 $12,254
Avg Net Price $24,120 $19,838
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $9,124
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 79%

Admission

Messiah College Penn State Mont Alto
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 678
Admitted 1,936 619
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 91.3%
Enrolled % 30.3% 30.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Difficult Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30
SAT Range 1090/1340 1020/1230
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 Mont Alto
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Health Professions (60%)
  • Work and Family Studies (9%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (9%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

Outcomes

Messiah College Penn State Mont Alto
Graduation Rate 74% 52%
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 Mont Alto
% Men 37% 41%
% Women 63% 59%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 80%
% Black 3% 8%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Messiah College Penn State Mont Alto
% In-State 63% 76%
% Out-of-State 35% 24%

Campus

Messiah College Penn State Mont Alto
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

  • Messiah College is larger than than Penn State Mont Alto based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 670 students)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Mont Alto Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or Penn State Mont Alto?

  • Messiah College is 178.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Mont Alto for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 67% higher at Messiah College than Penn State Mont Alto ($38,550.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Mont Alto than Messiah College ($19,838 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 6% lower than costs at Penn State Mont Alto ($11,560 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Penn State Mont Alto (100% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 201.6% larger than aid received Penn State Mont Alto ($27,519 vs. $9,124)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Mont Alto Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 174 points higher than at Penn State Mont Alto (955)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Mont Alto (21)
  • Penn State Mont Alto has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. Penn State Mont Alto Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Messiah College or Penn State Mont Alto? 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 Mont Alto and Messiah College.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Penn State Mont Alto (74% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Mont Alto 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 Mont Alto graduates. ($25,989 vs. $26,818)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Mont Alto graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Mont Alto 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/