Messiah University vs Grace College and Theological Seminary

Messiah University and Grace College and Theological Seminary, both esteemed Christian institutions, offer unique educational experiences. Messiah University, located in Grantham, Pennsylvania, boasts a higher acceptance rate (78%) compared to Grace College's 68%. Messiah's student body is more diverse, with 44% male and 56% female students, while Grace College has a slightly higher male-to-female ratio. Both institutions offer a range of popular majors, including Business, Education, and Nursing, but Messiah University has a wider selection of graduate programs. With a higher graduation rate (73% vs. 68%), Messiah University may provide students with a more structured academic environment. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover further distinctions and make an informed decision about your higher education journey.

	Grace College and Theological Seminary	Messiah University
Overview
Location	Winona Lake, Indiana	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Town: Distant	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	75.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Anabaptist	Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	83.2%	77.4%
Application fees		$50
SAT range	990 - 1220	1100 - 1340
ACT range	19 - 27	23 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	20.0%	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	11.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	4,152	2,458
Total number of admissions given out	3,453	1,902
Admitted students who chose to enroll	437	551
Yield rate	12.7%	29.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$40,428	$54,340
Average net price	$18,795	$23,895
Tuition	$27,328	$37,430
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,124 Meal plan: $4,852	Room/dormitory: $5,970 Meal plan: $5,250
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $19,892	100.0% Average amount $26,620
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $5,514	65.0% Average amount $5,510
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $10,726	24.0% Average amount $11,228

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,598 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%	2,495 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%
Graduate students	321 Men 53.9% Women 46.1%	781 Men 28.6% Women 71.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	34.6%
International students	3.4%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,103	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	Business Theology Education Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	70.7%	77.0%
Dropout rate	28.7%	4.8%
Transferred out	N/A	18.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $55,770 Year 3: $55,797 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,173 Year 2: $43,240 Year 3: $41,761 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,930 Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $40,220 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,637 Year 3: $36,169 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,295 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $35,872 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $34,775 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,244 Year 2: $30,650 Year 3: $32,366 Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,348 Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: $31,238 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,733 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $30,527 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,180 Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: $30,384	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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Grace College and Theological Seminary

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