Messiah University vs Fresno Pacific University

Messiah University and Fresno Pacific University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Messiah University, a private Christian university in Pennsylvania, boasts a higher acceptance rate (78%) compared to Fresno Pacific University's 68%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with Messiah University excelling in fields like nursing, business, and education, while Fresno Pacific University is known for its strengths in agriculture, business, and psychology. Messiah University's student body is predominantly White (78%), while Fresno Pacific University's student population is more diverse, with a significant Hispanic population (42%). With graduation rates of 68% and 54% respectively, both universities are committed to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Fresno Pacific University	Messiah University
Overview
Location	Fresno, California	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Large	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	72.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical	Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	77.9%	77.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $45	$50
SAT range	970 - 1240	1100 - 1340
ACT range	17 - 24	23 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	10.0%	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	2.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	917	2,458
Total number of admissions given out	714	1,902
Admitted students who chose to enroll	200	551
Yield rate	28.0%	29.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$49,480	$54,340
Average net price	$15,350	$23,895
Tuition	$32,954	$37,430
Room & board	$8,710	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)	98.0% Average amount $23,925	100.0% Average amount $26,620
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $4,300	65.0% Average amount $5,510
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $16,889	24.0% Average amount $11,228

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,686 Men 27.3% Women 72.7%	2,495 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%
Graduate students	838 Men 26.4% Women 73.6%	781 Men 28.6% Women 71.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	34.6%
International students	2.2%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	574	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	Liberal Arts Business Public Administration and Social Service Education Family and Consumer Sciences	Health Professions Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.7%	77.0%
Dropout rate	4.9%	4.8%
Transferred out	26.2%	18.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $70,696 Year 2: $83,388 Year 3: $86,000 Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $65,332 Year 3: $71,641 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,408 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $63,188 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,991 Year 2: $49,962 Year 3: $52,960 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,756 Year 2: $45,207 Year 3: $52,003 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $47,490 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,284 Year 2: $30,119 Year 3: $36,806 Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,685 Year 2: $28,960 Year 3: $33,694 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,929 Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $26,667 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,437 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	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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Fresno Pacific University

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