Messiah University

www.messiah.edu

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2024 Undergraduate Tuition

$41,300

4.03% growth from 2023

2024 Average Net Price

$29,408

After Financial Aid

2024 Acceptance Rate

79%

2,458 Applicants

2024 Enrolled Students

3,373

73.7% Full-Time

2024 Graduation Rate

75%

485 Graduates

About

Messiah University is a higher education institution located in Cumberland County, PA. In 2024, the most popular Masters Degree concentrations at Messiah University were Other Health Professions & Related Clinical Sciences (86 degrees awarded), Occupational Therapy (36 degrees), and General Music Performance (28 degrees).

In 2024, 915 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Messiah University. 66.4% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 33.6% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (732 degrees), 13.6 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (54 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Messiah University is $41,300, which is $17,300 more than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($24,000).

Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs Masters Colleges and Universities

Costs

In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at Messiah University is $41,300, which is $17,300 more than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($24,000).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $29,408.

In 2024, 90% of undergraduate students attending Messiah University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 54% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$41,300

2024 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2024, the cost of tuition at Messiah University was $41,300. The cost of tuition at Messiah University is $17,300 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($24,000).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Messiah University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$29,408

2024 Value

1.59%

1 Year Growth

In 2024 Messiah University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $29,408. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of Messiah University grew by 1.59%.

This chart compares the average net price of Messiah University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$11,910

Room and Board

$1,460

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Messiah University was of $11,910 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 3.03% between 2023 and 2024.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,460. The cost of books and supplies increased by 8.15% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Messiah University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

90%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

54%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

90% of undergraduate students at Messiah University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a decline of 4.26% with respect to 2023, when 94% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Messiah University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Admissions

Messiah University received 2,458 undergraduate applications in 2024, which represents a 3.49% annual growth. Out of those 2,458 applicants, 1,941 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 79% acceptance rate.

There were 3,373 students enrolled at Messiah University in 2024. 52% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Messiah University has an overall enrollment yield of 29.1%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

79%

Acceptance Rate in 2024

1,941

Accepted Out of 2,458

In 2024, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Messiah University was 79% (1,941 admissions from 2,458 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2023, which was 78.5%. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of applicants grew by 3.49%, while admissions grew by 4.13%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Messiah University (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

52%

Submission Percentage (2024)

292

Scores Submitted (2024)

52% of enrolled first-time students at Messiah University in 2024 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Messiah University had a total enrollment of 3,373 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at Messiah University is 2,486 students and the part-time enrollment is 887. This means that 73.7% of students enrolled at Messiah University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Messiah University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 75.2% White, 8.51% Hispanic or Latino, 4.71% Black or African American, 4% Two or More Races, 3.68% Asian, 0.0889% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0889% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Messiah University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (43.2%), followed by White Male (32.2%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (5.82%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (57.6%), followed by White Male (18.8%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (6.16%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

73.7%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Messiah University in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 3,373 students. The full-time enrollment at Messiah University is 2,486 and the part-time enrollment is 887. This means that 73.7% of students enrolled at Messiah University are enrolled full-time compared with 67.1% at similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Messiah University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

89%

2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Messiah University was 89%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Masters Colleges and Universities (73%), Messiah University had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Messiah University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
2,537 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
287 enrolled students
Black or African American
159 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Messiah University is 75.2% White, 8.51% Hispanic or Latino, 4.71% Black or African American, 4% Two or More Races, 3.68% Asian, 0.0889% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0889% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Masters Colleges and Universities is 47.4% White, 18.8% Hispanic or Latino, and 13.6% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 50 students (1.48%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2024, 301 more women than men received degrees from Messiah University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Messiah University is white (732 degrees awarded). There were 13.6 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (54 degrees).

The most common Masters Degree concentration at Messiah University is Other Health Professions & Related Clinical Sciences (86 degrees awarded), followed by Occupational Therapy (36 degrees) and General Music Performance (28 degrees).

In 2024, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Messiah University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Visual & Performing Arts (86 degrees awarded), Education (128 degrees), and Human Sciences (18 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Elementary & middle school teachers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Messiah University are Elementary & middle school teachers (1,602,855 people), Registered nurses (1,558,805 people), Secondary school teachers (523,022 people), Education administrators (296,980 people), and Other managers (248,603 people).

The most specialized majors at Messiah University in 2024 are Visual & Performing Arts (86 degrees awarded), Education (128 degrees), Human Sciences (18 degrees), Communication Technologies (5 degrees), and Health (288 degrees) (as of 2024).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Agents & business managers of artists, performers, & athletes

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Messiah University are Agents & business managers of artists, performers, & athletes, Surgeons, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Physicians, and Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents

The most specialized majors at Messiah University are Visual & Performing Arts (86 degrees awarded), Education (128 degrees), Human Sciences (18 degrees), Communication Technologies (5 degrees), and Health (288 degrees) (as of 2024).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Messiah University are Elementary & secondary schools (3,085,534 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (1,759,951 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (472,171 people), Outpatient care centers (354,068 people), and Offices of physicians (239,162 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Messiah University.

Most Common (2024)

General Health Services
51 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
43 degrees awarded
General Psychology
38 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Messiah University was General Health Services with 51 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Messiah University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

307

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2024

608

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2024

In 2024, 307 degrees were awarded to men at Messiah University, which is 0.505 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (608).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Messiah University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2024, 21 degrees were awarded to men at Messiah University in General Music Performance, which is 1.11 times more than the 19 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2024, 87 degrees were awarded to men at Messiah University in Other Health Professions & Related Clinical Sciences, which is 8.7 times more than the 10 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

74%

100% Completion Time

78%

150% Completion Time

In 2024, 74% of students graduating from Messiah University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 78% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 79% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Masters Colleges and Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
732 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
54 degrees awarded
Black or African American
37 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Messiah University is white (732 degrees awarded). There were 13.6 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (54 degrees).

0.437% of degree recipients (4 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)

White Female
529 degrees awarded
White Female
526 degrees awarded
White Female
486 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Messiah University is white female (529 degrees awarded). There were 1.01 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (526 degrees).

Operations

Messiah University has an endowment valued at nearly $132M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 13.8M (10.5%) compared to the 9.2% average return (4.22M on 45.9M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2024, Messiah University had a total salary expenditure of 105M. Messiah University employs 72 Professors, 50 Associate professors and 45 Assistant professors. Most academics at Messiah University are Male Professor (49), Female Assistant professor (29), and Female Associate professor (25).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Messiah University are: Service, with 101 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 71 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 56 employees.

Endowment

$132M

2024 Endowment

4.54%

growth from 2023

Messiah University has an endowment valued at about $132M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of Messiah University grew 4.54% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $86.2M higher than than the median endowment of Masters Colleges and Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Messiah University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs Carnegie Classification grouping.

Salary Expenditure

$41.8M

2024 Salaries

0.635%

growth from 2023

In 2024, Messiah University paid a median of $41.8M in salaries, which represents 39.8% of their overall expenditure ($105M) and a 0.635% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 3.68% growth between 2022 and 2023, and a 1.75% growth between 2021 and 2022.

Instructional Salaries

$15.2M

Instructional Salaries

178

Number of Employees

In 2024, Messiah University paid a total of $15.2M to 178 employees working as instructors, which represents 36.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $965k (3.13%) for similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

Occupations by Share

In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Messiah University were Service with 101 employees, Office and Administrative Support with 71 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 56 employees.

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