Eastern Mennonite University vs Messiah University

Eastern Mennonite University and Messiah University, both esteemed private institutions rooted in Christian values, offer distinct educational experiences. Eastern Mennonite, nestled in the heart of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, boasts a close-knit community with a strong emphasis on service and peacebuilding. Messiah, located in the vibrant town of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is known for its rigorous academic programs and commitment to global engagement. While both universities share a common thread of faith-based learning, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Eastern Mennonite University	Messiah University
Overview
Location	Harrisonburg, Virginia	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Small	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	77.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Anabaptists	Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	95.2%	77.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50	$50
SAT range	1040 - 1590	1100 - 1340
ACT range	25 - 34	23 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	3.0%	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	4.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	1,090	2,458
Total number of admissions given out	1,038	1,902
Admitted students who chose to enroll	208	551
Yield rate	20.0%	29.0%
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	$52,800	$54,340
Average net price	$23,936	$23,895
Tuition	$39,620	$37,430
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,880 Meal plan: $5,020	Room/dormitory: $5,970 Meal plan: $5,250
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	93.0% Average amount $29,014	100.0% Average amount $26,620
Students receiving federal student loan	57.0% Average amount $5,310	65.0% Average amount $5,510
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $12,604	24.0% Average amount $11,228

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	958 Men 40.5% Women 59.5%	2,495 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%
Graduate students	384 Men 20.8% Women 79.2%	781 Men 28.6% Women 71.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	34.2%	34.6%
International students	3.9%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	672	2,403
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Virginia Pennsylvania Indiana Ohio Maryland	Pennsylvania Maryland New Jersey New York Delaware

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Liberal Arts Multidisciplinary Studies	Health Professions Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	55.1%	77.0%
Dropout rate	19.3%	4.8%
Transferred out	25.2%	18.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,792 Year 2: $62,211 Year 3: $67,660 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,201 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $36,040 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,973 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: N/A	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

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