Mercyhurst University vs Messiah University

Mercyhurst University and Messiah University, both located in Pennsylvania, offer distinct educational experiences. Mercyhurst, a private Catholic university, boasts a 75% acceptance rate and a diverse student body, with 3,800 undergraduates representing 40 states and 40 countries. Messiah, a private Christian university, has a slightly lower acceptance rate of 68% and a predominantly undergraduate population of 3,300 students, known for its strong science and nursing programs. While both universities offer a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, Mercyhurst excels in fields like intelligence studies, forensic science, and creative writing, while Messiah shines in engineering, business, and education. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths and make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Mercyhurst University	Messiah University
Overview
Location	Erie, Pennsylvania	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	78.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	82.4%	77.4%
Application fees		$50
SAT range	N/A	1100 - 1340
ACT range	N/A	23 - 31
Students submitting SAT score		57.0%
Students submitting ACT score		11.0%
Total number of applicants	3,893	2,458
Total number of admissions given out	3,207	1,902
Admitted students who chose to enroll	625	551
Yield rate	19.5%	29.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$56,475	$54,340
Average net price	$25,785	$23,895
Tuition	$39,750	$37,430
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,966 Meal plan: $6,784	Room/dormitory: $5,970 Meal plan: $5,250
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $30,945	100.0% Average amount $26,620
Students receiving federal student loan	73.0% Average amount $5,469	65.0% Average amount $5,510
Students taking out private loans	19.0% Average amount $17,125	24.0% Average amount $11,228

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,641 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%	2,495 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%
Graduate students	400 Men 35.8% Women 64.2%	781 Men 28.6% Women 71.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	34.6%
International students	4.5%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,900	2,403
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Pennsylvania Maryland New Jersey New York Delaware

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Military Technologies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Education	Health Professions Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.3%	77.0%
Dropout rate	14.6%	4.8%
Transferred out	22.9%	18.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,851 Year 2: $49,464 Year 3: $60,543 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,104 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $55,368 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,743 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $54,163 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $50,420 Year 2: $52,562 Year 3: $52,863 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $50,334 Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $46,945 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,580 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $46,106 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,341 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $45,426 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,961 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $41,401 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,610 Year 2: $32,658 Year 3: $40,216	Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,515 Year 2: $60,623 Year 3: $64,027 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,062 Year 2: $53,608 Year 3: $62,810 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,117 Year 2: $62,546 Year 3: $62,631 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,416 Year 2: $55,693 Year 3: $56,809 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,254 Year 2: $49,214 Year 3: $53,924 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $32,970 Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: $47,853 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,875 Year 2: $37,054 Year 3: $47,113 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,733 Year 2: $40,621 Year 3: $45,156 Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,616 Year 2: $39,523 Year 3: $44,488 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,316 Year 2: $35,594 Year 3: $41,855

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