Messiah University vs U Valley Forge

Messiah University and University of Valley Forge, both rooted in Christian values, offer distinct educational experiences. Messiah, with an acceptance rate of 69%, boasts a larger student body, predominantly comprising undergraduate students, while Valley Forge, with a lower acceptance rate of 58%, maintains a smaller, more close-knit community. Messiah's diverse student body reflects its global outlook, while Valley Forge's student population is primarily domestic. Both institutions excel in different areas: Messiah is renowned for its strong programs in nursing, business, and education, while Valley Forge shines in engineering, criminal justice, and biblical studies. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique offerings and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Messiah University	University of Valley Forge
Overview
Location	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Suburb: 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%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Interdenominational	Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	77.4%	82.0%
Application fees	$50	$25
SAT range	1100 - 1340	N/A
ACT range	23 - 31	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	11.0%
Total number of applicants	2,458	416
Total number of admissions given out	1,902	341
Admitted students who chose to enroll	551	123
Yield rate	29.0%	36.1%
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	$54,340	$38,508
Average net price	$23,895	$23,944
Tuition	$37,430	$21,760
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,970 Meal plan: $5,250	Room/dormitory: $5,900 Meal plan: $4,824
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 $16,055
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $5,510	85.0% Average amount $5,741
Students taking out private loans	24.0% Average amount $11,228	13.0% Average amount $12,925

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,495 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%	508 Men 46.9% Women 53.1%
Graduate students	781 Men 28.6% Women 71.4%	75 Men 48.0% Women 52.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	34.6%	59.8%
International students	2.8%	2.1%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,403	616
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	Pennsylvania Maryland New Jersey New York Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Engineering	Theology Communication and Journalism Business Psychology Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	77.0%	55.6%
Dropout rate	4.8%	19.6%
Transferred out	18.3%	24.8%
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	Theological and Ministerial Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,099 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $49,645 Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,735 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: $38,216 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,652 Year 2: $27,204 Year 3: $31,938 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A

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Messiah University vs U Valley Forge

Messiah University

University of Valley Forge

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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