Messiah College vs. SVU

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

Messiah College SVU
Location Grantham, PA Buena Vista, VA
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 3,231 1,053
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #984
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu svu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College SVU
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $18,858
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $18,858
Room & Board $11,560 $9,150
Avg Net Price $24,120 $23,274
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $8,188
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 99%

Admission

Messiah College SVU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 1,090
Admitted 1,936 1,084
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 99.4%
Enrolled % 30.3% 35.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.19
Typical High School Grades A- B
Admissions Standards Difficult Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30 18/24
SAT Range 1090/1340 900/1250
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 SVU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Work and Family Studies (12%)

Outcomes

Messiah College SVU
Graduation Rate 74% 25%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $40,600
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 53%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $23,654
Median Loan Payment $268 $244

Diversity

Messiah College SVU
% Men 37% 53%
% Women 63% 47%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 80%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 7%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Messiah College SVU
% In-State 63% 12%
% Out-of-State 35% 73%

Campus

Messiah College SVU
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 SVU based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 1,053 students)

Messiah College vs. SVU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or SVU?

  • Messiah College is 104.4% more expensive to attend than SVU for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $18,858.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 104.4% higher at Messiah College than Southern Virginia University ($38,550.00 vs. $18,858.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southern Virginia University than Messiah College ($23,274 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southern Virginia University are 26.3% lower than costs at Messiah College ($9,150 vs. $11,560)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Southern Virginia University (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 236.1% larger than aid received Southern Virginia University ($27,519 vs. $8,188)

Messiah College vs. SVU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 88 points higher than at SVU (1041)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at SVU (23)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.61 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at SVU (3.19)
  • SVU has a higher acceptance rate (99.4%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. SVU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Southern Virginia University (74% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from Messiah College earn on average $8,000 more per year than SVU graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $40,600)
  • Southern Virginia University students graduate with a $2,335 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($23,654 vs. $25,989)
  • SVU graduates are paying $24 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($244 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SVU students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 53%)

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