Messiah College

Statistics

Scholarships & Financial Aid

School Says - General Information
Messiah College is an independent, nationally ranked, private liberal arts and applied sciences college committed to providing a rigorous education in the context of the Christian tradition. In 2009 it was ranked number five by U.S. News and World Report as a Best Baccalaureate College in the North. The College strives to develop each student's intellect, character, and faith, preparing them for successful lives of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.

There are more than 2,800 students at Messiah College, hailing from 43 U.S. states and 30 foreign countries. Collectively, students represent many denominational affiliations; nearly 8percent of students are ethnic minorities and 2.6 percent are international students. Messiah has a distinctive residential atmosphere and a strong sense of community; 87 percent of students live on campus.

School Says - Student Body
As part of an active and dynamic campus community, Messiah students can participate in over 60 student groups and organizations, including theater and music groups, a campus newspaper, and a student-produced radio station. The College's Student Government Organization has a strong history of representing the student body and developing students' leadership skills.

Messiah College maintains one of the most successful NCAA Division III athletics programs in the nation. Messiah athletic teams have garnered 9 national championships. The College's teams also regularly achieve national rankings and conference titles. Messiah athletes have been recognized as all-Americans and have been featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today, US News and World Report, and on national television, while our coaches have received national coaching awards. Overall, Messiah's athletic program is ranked 14th among the 300-plus Division III colleges in the nation. Messiah competes in men's baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, and wrestling, as well as women's basketball, cross-country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Messiah does not have any fraternities or sororities, at either the national or local level.

Students have many opportunities to grow in faith and fellowship at Messiah College, including: Chapel services featuring special music, challenging speakers, shared experiences, and examination of critical spiritual and social issues, Powerhouse, a popular and powerful, student-led praise service, Issachar's Loft, a discipleship program that provides leadership opportunities and weekly fellowship while tackling tough, contemporary social issues, Life groups-small groups that come together through Bible study, prayer, worship, service, and a commitment to each other's well-being.

The College operates a number of campus safety services for students, such as an after-hours transport and escort service, sixteen 24-hour emergency telephone alarm devices, a 24-hour, unarmed, professional security patrol, and student security patrols. In addition, all entrances to the residence halls are electronically operated. A crisis management and response team, emergency text-messaging system, and emergency evacuation plan are also in place on the campus.

School Says - Academics
Messiah College offers more than 55 academic majors and 6 pre-professional programs. Teacher certification is also available in many disciplines. Students must complete 123 units to graduate except as noted in the requirements for selected majors. In addition to courses required by their major field, all students must complete core general educational requirements that include writing and oral communication, the arts and sciences, language and culture, Christian faith, social responsibility, and physical education. Students fulfill the remaining required units through elective courses.

The College operates on a two semester academic calendar, with a January Term between the fall and spring terms. During January term, students take one intensive, three-week course of study with transcultural travel programs among the innovative courses offered during this term. A three-week May Term immediately follows the Spring Term and is exclusively for cross-cultural studies. Messiah offers study abroad opportunities in more than 40 countries and is ranked eleventh in the U.S. by the Institute of International Education for institutions sending students to study abroad. Qualified students may also participate in the Honors Program or design an individual major or an independent study program. Many students also participate in a variety of local, regional, and international service-learning programs and internships.

The College has been recognized for its focus on service-learning and civic engagement. In 2009, Messiah was named to the National President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, a distinction granted to only seven colleges in Pennsylvania. Messiah also has been identified by U.S. News and World Report as a 2010 "Program to Look for" in service-learning and in 2009 the College received the Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement Classification for community outreach and partnerships. Additionally, Messiah's nationally recognized Internship Center has been instrumental in the consistently high post-graduation placement rate of graduates. In 2008, 99 percent of surveyed respondents reported securing employment or acceptance into graduate school within one year of graduation.

Messiah professors are nationally recognized and have been educated at top universities all over the world. They are not only accomplished scholars but also practicing Christians who teach in their areas of expertise and serve as role models for integrating a life of faith with intellectual pursuits. 82 percent hold terminal degrees. Every Messiah professor signs a statement of faith as an indication of his or her commitment to the mission of the College. The student-to-faculty ratio at the College is 13:1. Recent Messiah graduates have distinguished themselves as Rhodes, Fulbright, Carnegie, and Truman scholars.

School Says - Admissions
Messiah seeks students with demonstrated academic promise, who wish to share in the College's multi-denominational, multi-cultural Christian community. Messiah encourages transfer, home school, international, and minority students to apply. The College provides two methods for candidates to apply for admission: the Standard Choice and the Write Choice. Both options require the submission of the application form, high school transcript, application essay, and one Christian Life recommendation form. In addition, the following materials or activities are required to complete an application for admission: Standard Choice - Applicant must submit the New SAT or ACT score results. Write Choice

- Applicant must be in the top 20% class ranking, participate in an admissions interview, and submit an additional graded writing sample.

The Admissions Office seeks to admit those candidates who have exhibited scholastic competence and excellence as well as those who are most likely to succeed, benefit from, and contribute to the Messiah College community.

- As for decision options, Messiah College operates on a rolling admission basis. On occasion, the Admissions Office may require an interview to clarify academic or personal issues pertaining to a candidate's application for admission. The application for admission must be completed and received prior to the admission interview. Appointments can be made Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on some selected Saturdays by contacting the Visit Coordinator at 1-800-233-4220 or by email: admiss@messiah.edu (two weeks' notice is suggested).

School Says - Campus Life
Messiah College, named a 2008 "Green College" by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, is situated on 471 scenic wooded acres, just 12 miles from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital. The College is approximately two hours from the major urban centers of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. There are many recreational and outdoor activities in the immediate vicinity, including the Yellow Breeches Creek, which flows through the campus and the nearby Susquehanna River and Appalachian Trail. The College also operates a satellite campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in conjunction with Temple University.

School Says - Cost Aid
In 2009, Messiah College was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as third in the region for Great Schools at a Great Price. For the 2009-2010 academic year, tuition is $25,900, room and board (maximum) is $8,170, and average basic fees are $800.In 2006, the College announced an initiative that seeks to raise an additional $20 million in financial aid over the next five years. Of students who enrolled at Messiah College in 2008, 100% of Messiah students, determined through the College's analysis to have financial need, received financial aid. The average first-year student aid amount for the 2009-2010 school year is $18,402.

Students Say - Academics
Messiah College, a small evangelical liberal arts school just outside Harrisburg, "is a place where Christian theology meets real life, individuals encounter true community, intense scholarship is connected to fervent faith, and where students stop 'doing' and start 'becoming.'" Students come here for a "Christ-centered education" but appreciate that "it is not 'cookie cutter Christianity'-you are forced to think outside your comfort zone and the 'box.' Professors stretch you and you have to really think about what you believe and why." This "community of thinkers, not regurgitators" pursues "stringent academics" in nursing, engineering, education, English, and religious studies. Students here also benefit from a "great study abroad program" that is "easily accessible, easy to pursue, and goes to so many countries!" The school also embodies "a strong concern for social justice and environmental issues" that manifests itself in service as well as "discussions of homelessness, poverty, and other injustices" across the campus. Best of all, "There are plenty of resources to help with homework (including tutoring), there are plenty of places to go to do homework, and there are state- of-the-art labs. Messiah has all a student needs."

Students Say - Campus Life
Life is pretty laid back at Messiah "since we live in a rural area," says one student. Most students here are "very outdoors-oriented: Frisbee, especially ultimate Frisbee, football, soccer, recreational sports, hiking, and rock climbing are popular." Men's and women's soccer games pull big crowds here. "Our men's soccer team won the National Championship for the past three years, and both the men and women usually make it to the Final Four," explains one student. Messiah works hard to bring entertainment to campus and over the past few years performers here have included Bob Dylan, Nickel Creek, Feist, Copeland, Regina Spektor, and Jars of Clay. No wonder "Messiah has been called 'the concert Mecca' of central Pennsylvania." But while some here assure us that "There are lots of places to hang out with other students to have fun" such as the new Student Union ("a great place to go with friends to get something to eat and to hang out") and the dorms ("People have fun by getting together to watch movies and play video games with friends."), some urban transplants tell us "this is a very hard adjustment to make. I'm in the boonies, and I hate it."

Students Say - Student Body
Students at Messiah tend to be "socially and environmentally aware or even active-they care about the school and local community, and they seek to be involved in service locally, nationally, and abroad." Most are "white Christians from the Northeast," but "there are also quite a few international students," and even, surprisingly, "a few atheists." As at many religious schools, Messiah offers "a not-very-welcoming environment for students of other sexual orientations. Rather than really confront these issues, they are typically glossed over or ignored." Words like "sheltered" and "naïve" pop up frequently in students' descriptions of their peers, but many report that "there's actually a lot of diversity in terms of how people grew up."

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