The average acceptance rate at Messiah over the past 10 years is 78.17%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 78.97%. The acceptance rate at Messiah is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 31.65%, and the 2025 yield is 29.06%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 18.00% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of Messiah applicants increased by 3.49% (83 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants decreased by 0.45% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 78.97%, demonstrating consistent admission standards over the past decade. The stability of this rate suggests that Messiah maintains a predictable and steady admissions environment for prospective students.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 29.06%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at Messiah. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, Messiah received approximately 2,458 applications, admitted 1,941 students, and enrolled 564 students. The application volume has remained relatively stable, suggesting consistent institutional appeal and recruitment effectiveness.
Messiah 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Messiah over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 78.17%, while the most recent rate stands at 78.97%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 78.97%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 77.29% and for women is 78.82%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Messiah have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 78.98% | 78.80% | 79.09% |
| 2016-17 | 79.51% 0.53% |
77.86% -0.94% |
80.41% 1.32% |
| 2017-18 | 77.01% -2.49% |
74.32% -3.54% |
78.73% -1.67% |
| 2018-19 | 78.89% 1.88% |
77.38% 3.06% |
79.89% 1.16% |
| 2019-20 | 75.87% -3.02% |
77.78% 0.40% |
74.78% -5.12% |
| 2020-21 | 77.52% 1.65% |
77.20% -0.57% |
77.70% 2.93% |
| 2021-22 | 77.01% -0.51% |
75.03% -2.18% |
78.97% 1.27% |
| 2022-23 | 79.41% 2.40% |
79.56% 4.53% |
79.31% 0.34% |
| 2023-24 | 78.48% -0.93% |
77.96% -1.60% |
78.86% -0.45% |
| 2024-25 | 78.97% 0.48% |
76.98% -0.98% |
80.42% 1.56% |
| Average | 78.17% | 77.29% | 78.82% |
Messiah has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 35.44% in 2015 to 29.06% in 2025, representing a 18.00% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 31.65%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Messiah from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 18.00% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 35.44% | 36.89% | 34.58% |
| 2016-17 | 33.19% -2.25% |
36.69% -0.20% |
31.33% -3.25% |
| 2017-18 | 33.76% 0.57% |
35.90% -0.80% |
32.47% 1.13% |
| 2018-19 | 32.41% -1.34% |
31.54% -4.36% |
32.98% 0.51% |
| 2019-20 | 30.25% -2.16% |
32.84% 1.31% |
28.71% -4.27% |
| 2020-21 | 31.07% 0.82% |
33.84% 1.00% |
29.49% 0.78% |
| 2021-22 | 29.00% -2.07% |
28.92% -4.92% |
29.01% -0.49% |
| 2022-23 | 30.32% 1.32% |
32.50% 3.58% |
28.90% -0.11% |
| 2023-24 | 31.97% 1.65% |
32.43% -0.08% |
31.66% 2.76% |
| 2024-25 | 29.06% -2.92% |
32.42% -0.01% |
26.71% -4.95% |
| Average | 31.65% | 33.40% | 30.58% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 2,507, the average number of admitted is 1,959, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 620.
The number of Messiah applicants increased by 3.49% (83 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants decreased by 0.45% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Messiah University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 2,469 | 1,950 | 691 |
| 2016-17 | 2,596 5.14% |
2,064 5.85% |
685 -0.87% |
| 2017-18 | 2,558 -1.46% |
1,970 -4.55% |
665 -2.92% |
| 2018-19 | 2,530 -1.09% |
1,996 1.32% |
647 -2.71% |
| 2019-20 | 2,640 4.35% |
2,003 0.35% |
606 -6.34% |
| 2020-21 | 2,549 -3.45% |
1,976 -1.35% |
614 1.32% |
| 2021-22 | 2,458 -3.57% |
1,893 -4.20% |
549 -10.59% |
| 2022-23 | 2,438 -0.81% |
1,936 2.27% |
587 6.92% |
| 2023-24 | 2,375 -2.58% |
1,864 -3.72% |
596 1.53% |
| 2024-25 | 2,458 3.49% |
1,941 4.13% |
564 -5.37% |
| Average | 2,507 | 1,959 | 620 |
The following table compares Messiah University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messiah University | 78.48% | 78.97% | 0.62% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 5.40% | 5.87% | -8.01% |
| Drexel University | 79.44% | 77.53% | 2.46% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 11.66% | 11.40% | 2.28% |
| Villanova University | 26.98% | 25.12% | 7.40% |
| Eastern University | 90.77% | 93.62% | -3.04% |
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