Messiah University vs Wheaton College

Messiah University and Wheaton College, both esteemed Christian liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Messiah, located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, boasts a higher acceptance rate (78%) compared to Wheaton's selective admissions (34%). Messiah's student body is more diverse, with a larger international student population and a higher percentage of students receiving financial aid. Wheaton, situated in Wheaton, Illinois, excels in STEM fields, with popular majors in Biology, Biochemistry, and Computer Science. Messiah, on the other hand, is known for its strengths in Business, Education, and Nursing. While Wheaton's graduation rate is slightly higher at 86%, both institutions boast impressive placement records, with graduates securing jobs or pursuing further education at notable organizations. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Messiah University	Wheaton College
Overview
Location	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Wheaton, Illinois
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%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Interdenominational	Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	77.4%	86.3%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1100 - 1340	1250 - 1430
ACT range	23 - 31	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	57.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	11.0%	25.0%
Total number of applicants	2,458	1,993
Total number of admissions given out	1,902	1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll	551	546
Yield rate	29.0%	31.8%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$54,340	$54,700
Average net price	$23,895	$28,319
Tuition	$37,430	$40,570
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,970 Meal plan: $5,250	Room/dormitory: $6,640 Meal plan: $4,660
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $26,620	91.0% Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $5,510	52.0% Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans	24.0% Average amount $11,228	5.0% Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,495 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%	2,341 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	781 Men 28.6% Women 71.4%	706 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	34.6%	N/A
International students	2.8%	5.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,403	2,153
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	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Engineering	Psychology Theology Education Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	77.0%	87.6%
Dropout rate	4.8%	3.1%
Transferred out	18.3%	9.1%
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	Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,492 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $61,559 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,982 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $48,761 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,694 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $48,539 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $30,613 Year 2: $33,459 Year 3: $41,661 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,251 Year 2: $37,856 Year 3: $41,339 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,767 Year 2: $39,049 Year 3: $38,775 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,864 Year 3: $36,928 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,471 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $34,682 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,825 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $32,867 Religious Education (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $31,289

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Messiah University vs Wheaton College

Messiah University

Wheaton College

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Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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