Messiah University vs Columbia International

Messiah University and Columbia International University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Messiah University, located in Grantham, Pennsylvania, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Columbia International University's (CIU) 67%. Messiah's student body is more diverse, with 48% female and 52% male students, while CIU's student body is predominantly female (60%). Both universities offer a range of popular majors, including Business, Education, and Nursing, but CIU also offers unique programs such as Intercultural Studies and Biblical Studies. While Messiah University has a higher graduation rate (70%) than CIU's 65%, CIU offers a more affordable tuition rate. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Columbia International University	Messiah University
Overview
Location	Columbia, South Carolina	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	64.0%	85.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation		Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	45.6%	77.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25	$50
SAT range	940 - 1135	1100 - 1340
ACT range	17 - 24	23 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	39.0%	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	21.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	526	2,458
Total number of admissions given out	240	1,902
Admitted students who chose to enroll	176	551
Yield rate	73.3%	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	$38,700	$54,340
Average net price	$20,088	$23,895
Tuition	$24,490	$37,430
Room & board	$8,950	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)	96.0% Average amount $17,706	100.0% Average amount $26,620
Students receiving federal student loan	66.0% Average amount $5,128	65.0% Average amount $5,510
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $9,004	24.0% Average amount $11,228

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	905 Men 46.2% Women 53.8%	2,495 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%
Graduate students	1,433 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%	781 Men 28.6% Women 71.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	47.6%	34.6%
International students	14.2%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	400	2,403
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina Florida North Carolina Georgia Texas	Pennsylvania Maryland New Jersey New York Delaware

Academics
Popular study areas	Theology Education Business Psychology Liberal Arts	Health Professions Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.1%	77.0%
Dropout rate	16.8%	4.8%
Transferred out	19.0%	18.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Theology and Religious Vocations, Other (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,960 Year 3: $43,723 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,119 Year 3: $33,137 Bible/Biblical Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,420 Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: $25,579 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $23,982 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: $23,347 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: N/A Theological and Ministerial Studies (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,420 Year 3: N/A Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $23,351 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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