Messiah University

Student body

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment

2,259

Graduate enrollment

755

Student–faculty ratio

12 : 1

Pell Grant recipients

20%

First-generation students

18%

Students over 25

2%

Median family income

$85,483

Avg faculty salary (academic year)

$82,611

Endowment

$132,098,420

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate

79.0%

Test scores

Considered but not required

SAT range (25th–75th %)

1110–1350

SAT average

1236

SAT reading

570–680

SAT math

540–670

ACT composite

26–31

Average GPA (estimated)

3.51

Cost

In-state tuition

$42,240

Room & board

$13,098

Books & supplies

$1,290

Total cost of attendance

$55,875

Average net price

$26,502

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)

75%

Graduated on time (4 years)

70%

First-year retention

89%

Transferred to another college

19%

Median earnings, 6 years after entry

$50,192

Median earnings, 10 years after entry

$54,064

Median debt at graduation

$25,621

Students with federal loans

54%

Paying down their loans (1 year in)

82%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing

Yes

Dorm capacity

2,403

Dorm capacity vs undergrads

100%+

Housing charge (year)

$6,335

Meal plan (year)

$5,575

Application fee

$50

Athletics

NCAA Division III without football

Varsity athletes

625 (330 men · 295 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (11)

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade

C

Reported offenses per 1,000 students

4.3 / year

Violent offenses (2022–2024)

22

Property offenses (2022–2024)

22

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (3,373 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

$20,916/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.