Messiah College vs. Ship

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

Messiah College Ship
Location Grantham, PA Shippensburg, PA
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 3,231 5,162
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #666
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu ship.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College Ship
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $9,570
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $10,048
Room & Board $11,560 $11,538
Avg Net Price $24,120 $21,462
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $7,593
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 91%

Admission

Messiah College Ship
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 6,367
Admitted 1,936 5,590
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 87.8%
Enrolled % 30.3% 19.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.23
Typical High School Grades A- B
Admissions Standards Difficult Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30
SAT Range 1090/1340 980/1210
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline

Academics

Messiah College Ship
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)

Outcomes

Messiah College Ship
Graduation Rate 74% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $47,200
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $258

Diversity

Messiah College Ship
% Men 37% 47%
% Women 63% 53%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 78%
% Black 3% 10%
% 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 Ship
% In-State 63% 90%
% Out-of-State 35% 10%

Campus

Messiah College Ship
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

  • Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (5,162 students vs. 3,231 students)

Messiah College vs. Ship Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or Ship?

  • Messiah College is 302.8% more expensive to attend than Ship for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $9,570.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 283.7% higher at Messiah College than Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ($38,550.00 vs. $10,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania than Messiah College ($21,462 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania are 0.2% lower than costs at Messiah College ($11,538 vs. $11,560)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (100% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 262.4% larger than aid received Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ($27,519 vs. $7,593)

Messiah College vs. Ship Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 150 points higher than at Ship (979)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Ship (21)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.57 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Ship (3.23)
  • Ship has a higher acceptance rate (87.8%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. Ship Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (74% vs. 60%)
  • Graduates from Messiah College earn on average $1,400 more per year than Ship graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $47,200)
  • Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $989 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($25,000 vs. $25,989)
  • Ship graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($258 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Ship students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 72%)

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