Messiah University vs Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU)

Messiah University and Point Loma Nazarene University, both rooted in Christian values, offer distinct educational experiences. Messiah, located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, boasts a higher acceptance rate (78%) compared to Point Loma's 70% in San Diego, California. Messiah's student body is predominantly White (79%), while Point Loma's is more diverse, with 49% White, 22% Hispanic, and 13% Asian students. Both universities excel in certain academic areas: Messiah is known for its strong programs in nursing, business, and education, while Point Loma shines in biology, psychology, and business. With similar graduation rates hovering around 70%, both institutions ensure their students are well-prepared for their careers. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique offerings and make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Messiah University	Point Loma Nazarene University
Overview
Location	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	San Diego, California
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: 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%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Interdenominational	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	77.4%	83.7%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $55 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1100 - 1340	1170 - 1350
ACT range	23 - 31	22 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	57.0%	15.0%
Students submitting ACT score	11.0%	10.0%
Total number of applicants	2,458	3,060
Total number of admissions given out	1,902	2,560
Admitted students who chose to enroll	551	662
Yield rate	29.0%	25.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$54,340	$62,642
Average net price	$23,895	$34,851
Tuition	$37,430	$38,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,970 Meal plan: $5,250	$11,300
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $26,620	100.0% Average amount $18,365
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $5,510	45.0% Average amount $5,325
Students taking out private loans	24.0% Average amount $11,228	6.0% Average amount $22,040

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,495 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%	3,174 Men 34.3% Women 65.7%
Graduate students	781 Men 28.6% Women 71.4%	1,271 Men 29.2% Women 70.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	34.6%	26.3%
International students	2.8%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,403	1,845
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania Maryland New Jersey New York Delaware	California Washington Colorado Arizona Hawaii

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Engineering	Business Health Professions Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	77.0%	72.7%
Dropout rate	4.8%	3.8%
Transferred out	18.3%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,619 Year 2: $118,210 Year 3: $128,990 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $85,406 Year 2: $85,206 Year 3: $89,492 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,310 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $80,351 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $66,821 Year 3: $76,001 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,749 Year 3: $74,448 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,649 Year 2: $61,681 Year 3: $59,139 Business/Corporate Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,198 Year 2: $40,402 Year 3: $43,339 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,184 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $43,147 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,147 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $41,978 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,647 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: $35,103

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Messiah University vs Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU)

Messiah University

Point Loma Nazarene University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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