# Messiah University

Private nonprofit college in Mechanicsburg, PA. IPEDS ID 213996.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/messiah-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/messiah-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 79% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $26,502 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 75%; beats 79% of PA colleges and 85% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $54,064; beats 30% of PA colleges and 53% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $21,911

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $19,393 |
| 30-48k | $20,317 |
| 48-75k | $20,916 |
| 75-110k | $23,574 |
| 110k+ | $31,847 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.06 years on average (74% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $54,064 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $19,393 | $78,736 | 4.3 years |
| 30-48k | $20,317 | $82,487 | 4.5 years |
| 48-75k | $20,916 | $84,919 | 4.6 years |
| 75-110k | $23,574 | $95,710 | 5.2 years |
| 110k+ | $31,847 | $129,299 | 7.1 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $55,875
- Tuition and fees: $42,240
- Housing and meals: $11,910; books: $1,460

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 570–680; SAT math: 540–670; ACT: 26–31 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 2,375 applicants, 1,864 admitted, 596 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 79%, ACT 26–31 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 79%, ACT 22–30 (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: rigor, gpa, extracurriculars, talent, character, religion; important: class rank, test scores, essay, volunteer; considered: recommendations, alumni relation, work experience, interest
- Early decision: no; early action: no; waitlist: no
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.79
- Source: https://www.messiah.edu/institutional-research/_files/messiah-university-cds-current-year.pdf

## Majors (62 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | $64,871 | $84,927 | $25,798 |
| Accounting | $59,833 | $81,907 | $23,625 |
| Nursing | $73,788 | $77,824 | $27,000 |
| Computer Science | $49,205 | $74,941 | not reported |
| Marketing | $45,748 | $67,900 | not reported |
| Business Administration | $43,029 | $66,222 | $25,978 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | $56,005 | $27,000 |
| Health Sciences | $28,275 | $54,256 | $23,250 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $50,825 | $54,115 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $50,389 | $53,052 | $27,000 |
| Social Work | $34,818 | $52,511 | $27,000 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $32,943 | $46,813 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $31,131 | $45,982 | $27,000 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | $45,522 | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | $41,649 | not reported |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Communications | $45,021 | not reported | not reported |
| Journalism | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Relations and Advertising | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Communications Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Information Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biomedical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Civil Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | $22,621 | not reported | $26,000 |
| Biology | not reported | not reported | $27,000 |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biopsychology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sustainability Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bible Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Education | $28,885 | not reported | $26,000 |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminal Justice | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | $25,965 |
| Arts and Entertainment Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pre-Med / Pre-Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dietetics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Finance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Science / Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $96,770 (Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA), $96,430 (PA), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $79,930 (Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA), $93,830 (PA), $101,860 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).