Messiah University vs Lipscomb University

Messiah University and Lipscomb University, both esteemed private Christian institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Messiah, located in Grantham, Pennsylvania, boasts a higher acceptance rate (78%) compared to Lipscomb's 68% in Nashville, Tennessee. Messiah's student body is slightly larger, with an undergraduate population of 2,800 compared to Lipscomb's 2,600. While both universities offer a diverse range of majors, Messiah excels in nursing, business, and education, while Lipscomb is known for its strong programs in music, engineering, and business. With graduation rates of 75% and 68% respectively, both universities prioritize student success and post-graduate opportunities. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Lipscomb University	Messiah University
Overview
Location	Nashville, Tennessee	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	85.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ	Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	74.0%	77.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	$50
SAT range	1100 - 1270	1100 - 1340
ACT range	22 - 29	23 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	18.0%	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	65.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	3,422	2,458
Total number of admissions given out	2,532	1,902
Admitted students who chose to enroll	663	551
Yield rate	26.2%	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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$53,252	$54,340
Average net price	$26,614	$23,895
Tuition	$33,012	$37,430
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,816 Meal plan: $6,160	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)	99.0% Average amount $24,624	100.0% Average amount $26,620
Students receiving federal student loan	35.0% Average amount $5,142	65.0% Average amount $5,510
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $17,590	24.0% Average amount $11,228

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,952 Men 39.3% Women 60.7%	2,495 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%
Graduate students	1,826 Men 29.0% Women 71.0%	781 Men 28.6% Women 71.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	34.6%
International students	2.5%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,630	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	Education Health Professions Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	71.3%	77.0%
Dropout rate	28.1%	4.8%
Transferred out	N/A	18.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $100,230 Year 2: $119,716 Year 3: $125,699 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $66,830 Year 2: $79,473 Year 3: $83,140 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,863 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $74,926 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,789 Year 2: $54,697 Year 3: $63,289 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,514 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $60,483 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,065 Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $56,306 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,287 Year 2: $53,080 Year 3: $53,583 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,305 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $50,821 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,522 Year 2: $42,235 Year 3: $50,008 Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,450 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $48,652	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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