Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Messiah College

Should I go to Saint Thomas Aquinas College or Messiah College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Saint Thomas Aquinas College or Messiah College 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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Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Messiah College comparison
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Messiah College
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Overview

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Messiah College
Location Sparkill, NY Grantham, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,033 3,231
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #567 #358
Religious Affiliation - Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stac.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $35,500 $38,550
Tuition (Out of State) $35,500 $38,550
Room & Board $15,370 $11,560
Avg Net Price $21,745 $24,120
Avg Grant Aid $29,710 $27,519
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,861 2,438
Admitted 1,649 1,936
Acceptance Rate 88.6% 79.4%
Enrolled % 14.9% 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.0 3.8
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30
SAT Range 920/1270 1090/1340
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 May 1, 2024

Academics

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Messiah College
Graduation Rate 58% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,000 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 71% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $232 $268

Diversity

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Messiah College
% Men 48% 37%
% Women 52% 63%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 52% 83%
% Black 10% 3%
% Hispanic 22% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 3% 4%
% Unknown Race 9% 1%

Students

Saint Thomas Aquinas College Messiah College
% In-State 71% 63%
% Out-of-State 25% 35%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Messiah College is larger than than Saint Thomas Aquinas College based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 2,033 students)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Saint Thomas Aquinas College or Messiah College?

  • Messiah College is 8.6% more expensive to attend than Saint Thomas Aquinas College for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $35,500.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.6% higher at Messiah College than Saint Thomas Aquinas College ($38,550.00 vs. $35,500.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Saint Thomas Aquinas College than Messiah College ($21,745 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 33% lower than costs at Saint Thomas Aquinas College ($11,560 vs. $15,370)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Saint Thomas Aquinas College as Messiah College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Thomas Aquinas College students is 8% larger than aid received Messiah College ($29,710 vs. $27,519)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 187 points higher than at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (942)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (20)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.8 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Saint Thomas Aquinas College (3.0)
  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College has a higher acceptance rate (88.6%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Saint Thomas Aquinas College vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Saint Thomas Aquinas College or Messiah College? 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 Messiah College and Saint Thomas Aquinas College.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Saint Thomas Aquinas College (74% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from Messiah College earn on average $600 more per year than Saint Thomas Aquinas College graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $48,000)
  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College students graduate with a $3,489 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($22,500 vs. $25,989)
  • Saint Thomas Aquinas College graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($232 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Saint Thomas Aquinas College students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 71%)

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