Messiah University Acceptance Rate
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania · Private not-for-profit · 4-year or above
- Applicants
- 2,375
- Admitted
- 1,864
- Yield
- 32%
- Test policy
- Test-optional
Latest official IPEDS 2023–24 · Updated July 2026
Acceptance rate & applications over time
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.
Over the 10 years of federal data, Messiah University's acceptance rate has fallen from 80% in 2014–15 to 78.5% in 2023–24. Applications fell from 2,472 to 2,375 (-4%) over that period.
Its 78.5% rate makes Messiah University more selective than about 45% of the 1,419 schools tracked here. Among 108 tracked Pennsylvania schools, it is more selective than about 57%.
Messiah University has been test-optional since 2020–21. Of admitted students, 32% enrolled (the yield rate) in 2023–24.
Full year-by-year table
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 2,472 | 1,977 | 80% | 696 |
| 2015–16 | 2,469 | 1,950 | 79% | 691 |
| 2016–17 | 2,596 | 2,064 | 79.5% | 685 |
| 2017–18 | 2,558 | 1,970 | 77% | 665 |
| 2018–19 | 2,530 | 1,996 | 78.9% | 647 |
| 2019–20 | 2,640 | 2,003 | 75.9% | 606 |
| 2020–21 | 2,549 | 1,976 | 77.5% | 614 |
| 2021–22 | 2,458 | 1,902 | 77.4% | 551 |
| 2022–23 | 2,438 | 1,936 | 79.4% | 587 |
| 2023–24 | 2,375 | 1,864 | 78.5% | 596 |
Acceptance rate by gender
| Group | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 1,386 | 1,093 | 78.9% |
| Men | 989 | 771 | 78% |
SAT / ACT ranges & policy
Test-optional (considered if submitted).
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | % submitting |
|---|---|---|
| SAT EBRW | 560–670 | 56% |
| SAT Math | 540–670 | |
| ACT Composite | 22–30 | 6% |
How Messiah University compares
Where this school sits among peers of similar selectivity — each dot is a school's current acceptance rate on the same scale.
Frequently asked
What is Messiah University's acceptance rate?
Messiah University's acceptance rate is 78.5% for 2023–24, the most recent year of federal IPEDS data (1,864 admitted of 2,375 applicants).
Is Messiah University test optional?
Messiah University is test-optional: SAT/ACT scores are considered if submitted but not required.
How many people apply to Messiah University?
Messiah University received 2,375 applications in 2023–24 and admitted 1,864.
What SAT score do you need for Messiah University?
Admitted students at Messiah University typically scored 560–670 on SAT Reading/Writing and 540–670 on SAT Math (middle-50% ranges).
Is Messiah University getting harder to get into?
Messiah University has become harder to get into: its acceptance rate went from 80% in 2014–15 to 78.5% in 2023–24.
How this is calculated
Acceptance rate = admitted ÷ applicants, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates, from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS Admissions (ADM) survey; institution details from the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics (HD) survey. Data span: 2014–15 to 2023–24. Official site: www.messiah.edu/.