Messiah College vs. VMI

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

Messiah College VMI
Location Grantham, PA Lexington, VA
Setting Large Suburban Distant Rural
Enrollment 3,231 1,512
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #358 #150
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu vmi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College VMI
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $9,782
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $39,590
Room & Board $11,560 $10,674
Avg Net Price $24,120 $18,129
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $19,111
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 69%

Admission

Messiah College VMI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 1,192
Admitted 1,936 847
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 71.1%
Enrolled % 30.3% 42.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.65
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/30 22/29
SAT Range 1090/1340 1105/1300
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 Feb 1, 2024

Academics

Messiah College VMI
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (30%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • History (14%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

Messiah College VMI
Graduation Rate 74% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $62,100
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $258

Diversity

Messiah College VMI
% Men 37% 87%
% Women 63% 13%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 80%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

Messiah College VMI
% In-State 63% 63%
% Out-of-State 35% 35%

Campus

Messiah College VMI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
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 VMI based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 1,512 students)

Messiah College vs. VMI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or VMI?

  • Messiah College is 294.1% more expensive to attend than VMI for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $9,782.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.7% higher at VMI than Messiah College ($39,590.00 vs. $38,550.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Military Institute than Messiah College ($18,129 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Military Institute are 8.3% lower than costs at Messiah College ($10,674 vs. $11,560)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Virginia Military Institute (100% vs. 69%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 44% larger than aid received Virginia Military Institute ($27,519 vs. $19,111)

Messiah College vs. VMI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Military Institute (1139) is 10 points higher than at Messiah College (1129)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at VMI (25)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at VMI (3.65)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (79.4%) than VMI (71.1%)

Messiah College vs. VMI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Virginia Military Institute (74% vs. 69%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Military Institute earn on average $13,500 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $48,600)
  • Virginia Military Institute students graduate with a $989 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($25,000 vs. $25,989)
  • VMI 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 VMI students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 84%)

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