Messiah College vs. University of St Thomas

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

Messiah College University of St Thomas
Location Grantham, PA Houston, TX
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 3,344 3,813
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #362 #462
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu stthom.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College University of St Thomas
Tuition (In State) $39,700 $32,900
Tuition (Out of State) $39,700 $32,900
Room & Board $11,910 $10,248
Avg Net Price $29,882 $20,469
Avg Grant Aid $24,223 $23,688
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 93%

Admission

Messiah College University of St Thomas
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,375 1,591
Admitted 1,864 1,485
Acceptance Rate 78.5% 93.3%
Enrolled % 32% 45.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.53
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/30 22/28
SAT Range 1100/1340 1075/1340
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 Aug 15, 2025

Academics

Messiah College University of St Thomas
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)

Outcomes

Messiah College University of St Thomas
Graduation Rate 74% 44%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $57,200
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $22,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $227

Diversity

Messiah College University of St Thomas
% Men 6% 9%
% Women 17% 13%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 83% 28%
% Black 3% 7%
% Hispanic 4% 40%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 4% 10%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Messiah College University of St Thomas
% In-State 63% 96%
% Out-of-State 36% 2%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of St Thomas is larger than than Messiah College based on total student enrollment (3,813 students vs. 3,344 students)

Messiah College vs. University of St Thomas Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or University of St Thomas?

  • Messiah College is 20.7% more expensive to attend than University of St Thomas for in-state tuition ($39,700.00 vs. $32,900.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 20.7% higher at Messiah College than University of St Thomas ($39,700.00 vs. $32,900.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of St Thomas than Messiah College ($20,469 vs. $29,882)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of St Thomas are 16.2% lower than costs at Messiah College ($10,248 vs. $11,910)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than University of St Thomas (100% vs. 93%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 2.3% larger than aid received University of St Thomas ($24,223 vs. $23,688)

Messiah College vs. University of St Thomas Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 26 points higher than at University of St Thomas (1103)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at University of St Thomas (25)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at University of St Thomas (3.53)
  • University of St Thomas has a higher acceptance rate (93.3%) than Messiah College (78.5%)

Messiah College vs. University of St Thomas Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Messiah College or University of St Thomas? 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 University of St Thomas and Messiah College.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than University of St Thomas (74% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from University of St Thomas earn on average $8,600 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($57,200 vs. $48,600)
  • University of St Thomas students graduate with a $3,989 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($22,000 vs. $25,989)
  • University of St Thomas graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($227 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former University of St Thomas students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 59%)

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