Luther College vs Messiah University

Luther College and Messiah University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Luther College, nestled in Decorah, Iowa, boasts a 98% acceptance rate, while Messiah University, located in Grantham, Pennsylvania, maintains a more selective admissions process with a 75% acceptance rate. Luther College's student body is predominantly White (89%), while Messiah University's student body is more diverse, with White students comprising 73% of the population. Both institutions excel in academics, with Luther College's popular majors including Biology, Business Administration, and Music, and Messiah University's popular majors encompassing Business Administration, Nursing, and Psychology. With graduation rates of 78% and 80% respectively, both colleges ensure that their students are well-prepared for their future endeavors. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Luther College	Messiah University
Overview
Location	Decorah, Iowa	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical	Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	76.1%	77.4%
Application fees		$50
SAT range	1088 - 1318	1100 - 1340
ACT range	22 - 29	23 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	8.0%	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	37.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	2,495	2,458
Total number of admissions given out	1,898	1,902
Admitted students who chose to enroll	444	551
Yield rate	23.4%	29.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$61,175	$54,340
Average net price	$25,929	$23,895
Tuition	$46,130	$37,430
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,870 Meal plan: $5,490	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)	100.0% Average amount $34,281	100.0% Average amount $26,620
Students receiving federal student loan	69.0% Average amount $5,292	65.0% Average amount $5,510
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $13,652	24.0% Average amount $11,228

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,744 Men 43.4% Women 56.6%	2,495 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%
Graduate students	N/A	781 Men 28.6% Women 71.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	70.5%	34.6%
International students	9.9%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,156	2,403
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Minnesota Iowa Wisconsin Illinois California	Pennsylvania Maryland New Jersey New York Delaware

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Philosophy and Religious Studies	Health Professions Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.5%	77.0%
Dropout rate	27.4%	4.8%
Transferred out	N/A	18.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,195 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $91,432 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,140 Year 2: $65,441 Year 3: $66,753 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,758 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $64,932 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,532 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $55,251 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,545 Year 2: $45,175 Year 3: $50,853 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,709 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $44,954 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,831 Year 2: $35,401 Year 3: $41,091 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,489 Year 2: $38,559 Year 3: $40,687 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,592 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $38,953 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,828 Year 2: $27,536 Year 3: $38,178	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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