Messiah University
Messiah University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Messiah University Featured Rankings
About Messiah University
According to Wikipedia, Messiah University is a private interdenominational evangelical Christian university in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. History The school was founded as Messiah Bible School and Missionary Training Home in 1909 by the Brethren in Christ Church. Originally located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the home of Messiah's first president, Samuel Rogers Smith, a local businessman and leader in the Brethren in Christ Church, the school was moved to Grantham in 1911, following the construction of the campus' first building, Old Main. The building was constructed on land donated by S.R. Smith, who had moved his home and various business interests outside of the city to allow for growth in the farmlands surrounding Grantham. In the early years, the school offered a high school curriculum and several Bible programs. By 1921, it had also become a junior college, making it the second junior college in Pennsylvania, and changed its name to Messiah Bible School. The campus covers 375 acres.
Messiah University's Online Degrees
MM in Conducting
Degree Concentrations
- Tracks
- Orchestral conducting
- Wind conducting
- Choral conducting
- Required Credits: 30-33
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Education
Degree Concentrations
- Christian education
- Curriculum and instruction
- Curriculum and instruction with online instruction
- Intercultural studies
- Online instruction
- Special education
- Special education with online instruction (PreK-8 or 7-12)
- Special Education with Teaching Certification (PreK-8 or 7-12)
- Teaching Language and content
- Teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL)
- TESOL with ESL Program Specialist Certification
- TESOL with online instruction
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Special Education
- PK-12 or Secondary Education
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Online Instruction
- Teaching Language and Content
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other languages
- Special Education
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other languages
- Special Education
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
- Required Credits: 36
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Healthcare Leadership
Degree Concentrations
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Marriage
- Couple and Family Counseling Concentrations
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 1-2 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Accounting
- Finance
- Digital Marketing
- Healthcare Management
- Organizational Leadership
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MBA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Dietetics concentration
- Digital Marketing
- Healthcare Management
- Management
- Strategic Leadership
- Required Credits: 36
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Higher Education
Degree Concentrations
- Academic support
- College athletics leadership
- Strategic leadership
- Student affairs
- Individualized concentrations
- Required Credits: 36
- Completion Time: 2 years
MS in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
- Nurse Educator Track
- Nursing Administration Track
- Required Credits: 39
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MS and Master of Business Administration in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
- Nursing Administration Track
- Required Credits: 56
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Music Education
- Required Credits: 33
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
DNP in Nursing Practice
Degree Concentrations
- Family Nurse Practitioner COncentration
- Nursing Leadership Concentration
- Required Credits: 86
- Completion Time: 3 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Strategic Leadership
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
Messiah University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,375 | 79% | 89% | 78% | 1230 | 28 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Messiah University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $43,580 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $17,980 |
| 30K - 48K | $18,614 |
| 48K - 75K | $19,156 |
| 75K - 110K | $21,356 |
| 110K+ | $32,612 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Messiah University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Messiah University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $60,377 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Messiah University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 3,689 | 2,725 | 964 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Messiah University?
Messiah University is located at One University Avenue, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.
How Safe is Messiah University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Messiah University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Messiah University has a violent crime rate of 0.12% and a property crime rate of 0.44%. Mechanicsburg has a violent crime rate of 0.06% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.29%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Messiah University Known For?
Messiah University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Religious Studies
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Philosophy
- Mathematics
- Sociology
- Economics
- Social Work
- Literature
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- History
- Business
- Nursing
- Education
- Communications
- Biology
- Political Science
- Engineering
- Medical
Messiah University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Messiah University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Messiah University ranks #593 in the U.S. and #2611 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesMessiah University ranks #808 in the U.S. and #3619 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesMessiah University ranks #819 in the U.S. and #3448 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesMessiah University ranks #981 in the U.S. and #3254 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesMessiah University ranks #1177 in the U.S. and #4555 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesMessiah University ranks #1194 in the U.S. and #3891 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesMessiah University ranks #1432 in the U.S. and #6891 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesMessiah University ranks #1537 in the U.S. and #3980 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesMessiah University ranks #1760 in the U.S. and #5431 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesMessiah University ranks #1771 in the U.S. and #4663 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesMessiah University ranks #2167 in the U.S. and #8443 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesMessiah University ranks #2290 in the U.S. and #7480 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesMessiah University ranks #2398 in the U.S. and #8559 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesMessiah University ranks #2470 in the U.S. and #6381 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesMessiah University ranks #2618 in the U.S. and #9674 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesMessiah University ranks #2664 in the U.S. and #9697 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesMessiah University ranks #2750 in the U.S. and #10652 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesMessiah University ranks #2834 in the U.S. and #11755 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesMessiah University ranks #2950 in the U.S. and #12374 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesMessiah University ranks #3170 in the U.S. and #11314 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWho Are Messiah University's Most Influential Alumni?
Messiah University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Religious Studies, Chemistry, and Philosophy. Here are some of Messiah University's most famous alumni:
