Quad

Key differences on Getting in

  1. 1

    Messiah's yield is 19 pts higher than Eckerd's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Messiah's SAT midpoint is 10 points higher than Eckerd's

    SAT midpoint
  3. 3

    Eckerd admits 76% vs. 81% at Messiah

    Acceptance rate

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate
Eckerd76%
Messiah81%
Applicants
Eckerd5.1K
Messiah2.5K
Admitted
Eckerd3.8K
Messiah2K
Yield rate
Eckerd12%
Messiah31%

Quad's selectivity

  • EckerdAccessible
  • MessiahSelective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted
Eckerd78%
Messiah80%
Men admitted
Eckerd71%
Messiah77%

Test scores

SAT total,

Eckerd
1160–1330
Messiah
1150–1350

Axis runs 1000–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Eckerd
24–29
Messiah
26–31

Axis runs 20–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT
Eckerd27%
Messiah51%
Submitted ACT
Eckerd17%
Messiah6%

Test policy

  • EckerdTest-optional
  • MessiahRequired for some applicants

How they read a record

  • Eckerd

    GPA and the high school record are required; a college-prep program is considered.

  • Messiah

    and GPA are both very important; class rank and tests are both important. 69% of first-years had a 3.75 or higher, so and rarely sets an applicant apart; the courses behind it carry more of the weight.

What they look at

FactorEckerdMessiah
High school GPA RequiredVery important
High school record RequiredRequired
Class rank Not consideredImportant
College-prep program ConsideredRequired
Recommendations RequiredConsidered
Essay RequiredImportant
Legacy status ConsideredConsidered
Work experience ConsideredConsidered
Demonstration of competencies ConsideredNot considered
English proficiency test RequiredRequired
Other tests Not consideredNot considered
All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent release;Messiah University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;Messiah University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Messiah University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why