St. Mary's vs. Messiah College

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

St. Mary's Messiah College
Location St. Mary's City, MD Grantham, PA
Setting Distant Rural Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,520 3,231
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #143 #358
Religious Affiliation - Interdenominational - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website smcm.edu messiah.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St. Mary's Messiah College
Tuition (In State) $12,116 $38,550
Tuition (Out of State) $28,192 $38,550
Room & Board $14,146 $11,560
Avg Net Price $20,714 $24,120
Avg Grant Aid $10,265 $27,519
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 100%

Admission

St. Mary's Messiah College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,934 2,438
Admitted 2,268 1,936
Acceptance Rate 77.3% 79.4%
Enrolled % 18.1% 30.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.45 3.8
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 28/30 25/30
SAT Range 1130/1370 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 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

St. Mary's Messiah College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • English and Literature (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (6%)
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

St. Mary's Messiah College
Graduation Rate 79% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,500 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 85%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,370 $25,989
Median Loan Payment $210 $268

Diversity

St. Mary's Messiah College
% Men 41% 37%
% Women 59% 63%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 83%
% Black 8% 3%
% Hispanic 8% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 1% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

St. Mary's Messiah College
% In-State 87% 63%
% Out-of-State 12% 35%

Campus

St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 1,520 students)

St. Mary's vs. Messiah College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's or Messiah College?

  • Messiah College is 218.2% more expensive to attend than St. Mary's for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $12,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.7% higher at Messiah College than St Mary's College of Maryland ($38,550.00 vs. $28,192.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Mary's College of Maryland than Messiah College ($20,714 vs. $24,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 22.4% lower than costs at St Mary's College of Maryland ($11,560 vs. $14,146)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than St Mary's College of Maryland (100% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 168.1% larger than aid received St Mary's College of Maryland ($27,519 vs. $10,265)

St. Mary's vs. Messiah College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at St Mary's College of Maryland (1145) is 16 points higher than at Messiah College (1129)
  • Incoming St. Mary's students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at Messiah College (25)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.35 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at St. Mary's (3.45)
  • Messiah College has a higher acceptance rate (79.4%) than St. Mary's (77.3%)

St. Mary's vs. Messiah College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's is higher than Messiah College (79% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from St Mary's College of Maryland earn on average $2,900 more per year than Messiah College graduates after ten years. ($51,500 vs. $48,600)
  • St Mary's College of Maryland students graduate with a $5,619 lower median federal student loan debt than Messiah College graduates. ($20,370 vs. $25,989)
  • St. Mary's graduates are paying $58 less per month on federal student loans than Messiah College graduates. ($210 vs. $268)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St. Mary's students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 82%)

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