Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA 2,259 Undergrads 76.9% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$55,875

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$26,502

After Aid

Median Earnings

$58,620

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$26,502

Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$58,620

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Graduation Rate76.9%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Average Starting Age19.8

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients21.3%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time97.9%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS77.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

79.0%

SAT Avg

1,236

SAT Reading

25th: 57061575th: 680

SAT Math

25th: 54060575th: 670

ACT Composite

25th: 262775th: 31

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV

Vs Median Peer

Vs HS Grad

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

+$525k

+$58k

+$40k

Median Cost$27k/yr

+$429k

-$38k

-$55k

Full Cost$56k/yr

+$324k

-$143k

-$161k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$27k/yr

Never

-58%

Full Cost$56k/yr

Never

-80%

Analysis Assumptions:

Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-56%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-78%

Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services

BachCIP: 5203

Median Debt

$23,125

Earnings (4yr)

$81,907

Natl Median: $76,194

Lifetime Value Added

+$125k

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions

BachCIP: 5109

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$56,005

Natl Median: $70,786

Lifetime Value Added

-$76k

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management

BachCIP: 5010

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,240

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Bible/Biblical Studies

BachCIP: 3902

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,533

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

BachCIP: 2602

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,466

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biology, General

BachCIP: 2601

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (5yr)

$68,760

Natl Median: $57,214

Lifetime Value Added

+$14k

Biopsychology

BachCIP: 3010

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $57,825

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business Administration, Management and Operations

BachCIP: 5202

Median Debt

$23,073

Earnings (4yr)

$66,222

Natl Median: $68,257

Lifetime Value Added

+$5k

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other

BachCIP: 5299

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,830

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Chemistry

BachCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,120

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Communication and Media Studies

BachCIP: 0901

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$44,343

Natl Median: $56,359

Lifetime Value Added

-$181k

Communications Technologies/Technicians

BachCIP: 1001

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $36,451

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Science

BachCIP: 1107

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$74,941

Natl Median: $107,009

Lifetime Value Added

+$72k

Criminal Justice and Corrections

BachCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$31,581

Natl Median: $55,378

Lifetime Value Added

-$273k

Dance

BachCIP: 5003

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $39,980

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services

BachCIP: 5131

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,753

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

BachCIP: 5005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $39,775

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1603

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,642

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Economics

BachCIP: 4506

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $82,686

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Engineering, General

BachCIP: 1401

Median Debt

$24,750

Earnings (4yr)

$84,927

Natl Median: $89,359

Lifetime Value Added

+$148k

English Language and Literature, General

BachCIP: 2301

Median Debt

$25,250

Earnings (5yr)

$46,412

Natl Median: $48,590

Lifetime Value Added

-$164k

Film/Video and Photographic Arts

BachCIP: 5006

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$16,663

Natl Median: $43,765

Lifetime Value Added

-$410k

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$41,649

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

-$197k

Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1605

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,459

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General

BachCIP: 5100

Median Debt

$23,013

Earnings (4yr)

$54,256

Natl Median: $61,296

Lifetime Value Added

-$91k

History

BachCIP: 5401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $50,680

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services

BachCIP: 1907

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$46,813

Natl Median: $48,568

Lifetime Value Added

-$153k

International Business

BachCIP: 5211

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,201

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Journalism

BachCIP: 0904

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,278

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Marketing

BachCIP: 5214

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$67,900

Natl Median: $69,303

Lifetime Value Added

+$18k

Mathematics

BachCIP: 2701

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,562

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

BachCIP: 3099

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,693

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Music

BachCIP: 5009

Median Debt

$25,247

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $42,892

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

BachCIP: 0301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,012

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies

BachCIP: 3101

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $50,983

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

BachCIP: 3005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $63,114

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Philosophy

BachCIP: 3801

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $54,455

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Physics

BachCIP: 4008

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $76,786

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Political Science and Government

BachCIP: 4510

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $63,293

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Psychology, General

BachCIP: 4201

Median Debt

$25,500

Earnings (4yr)

$45,982

Natl Median: $50,706

Lifetime Value Added

-$160k

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

BachCIP: 0909

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $63,560

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Radio, Television, and Digital Communication

BachCIP: 0907

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$45,522

Natl Median: $50,497

Lifetime Value Added

-$164k

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

BachCIP: 5138

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$77,824

Natl Median: $88,910

Lifetime Value Added

+$94k

Religious Education

BachCIP: 3904

Median Debt

$26,000

Earnings (5yr)

$41,655

Natl Median: $43,633

Lifetime Value Added

-$204k

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1609

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,000

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Social Work

BachCIP: 4407

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$52,511

Natl Median: $51,790

Lifetime Value Added

-$105k

Sociology

BachCIP: 4511

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$21,052

Natl Median: $52,657

Lifetime Value Added

-$370k

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

BachCIP: 3105

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$36,326

Natl Median: $54,562

Lifetime Value Added

-$249k

Sustainability Studies

BachCIP: 3033

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $57,887

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

BachCIP: 1312

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$53,052

Natl Median: $47,382

Lifetime Value Added

-$101k

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas

BachCIP: 1313

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$54,115

Natl Median: $51,389

Lifetime Value Added

-$92k

Master's Degrees

Business Administration, Management and Operations

MastCIP: 5202

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $103,485

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Education, General

MastCIP: 1301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$60,976

Natl Median: $65,824

Lifetime Value Added

-$152k

Educational Administration and Supervision

MastCIP: 1304

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$37,568

Natl Median: $71,685

Lifetime Value Added

-$362k

Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other

MastCIP: 5199

Median Debt

$49,107

Earnings (4yr)

$55,966

Natl Median: $81,651

Lifetime Value Added

-$199k

Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities

MastCIP: 5132

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $100,487

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Music

MastCIP: 5009

Median Debt

$21,472

Earnings (4yr)

$77,342

Natl Median: $48,285

Lifetime Value Added

-$7k

Graduate Certificates

Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services

Gr-CertCIP: 5131

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,965

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Education, General

Gr-CertCIP: 1301

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$46,413

Natl Median: $69,448

Lifetime Value Added

-$235k

Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other

Gr-CertCIP: 5199

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$65,838

Natl Median: $81,978

Lifetime Value Added

-$28k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.