10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$193,258at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Messiah University
⌖ Mechanicsburg, PA · 24 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$193,258 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
30.8 yrsModeled economic break-even
−68%Modeled 10-year ROI
$54,275Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college—not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$26,502Average net price / year
$55,875Cost of attendance
$25,621Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$272/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$54,275Median earnings · year 5 after completion
75.0%Completion rate
79.0%Admission rate
2,259Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$45,768Year 1
$58,620Year 4
$54,275Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Engineering, General · Bachelor's Degree$84,9272Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$81,9073Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$77,8244Music · Master's Degree$77,3425Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$74,9416Marketing · Bachelor's Degree$67,9007Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$66,2228Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other · Graduate/Professional Certificate$65,838Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential—not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1MusicMaster's Degree · $77,342 reported+60%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's Degree · $53,052 reported+12%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt3Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree · $81,907 reported+7%vs same-degree national median$23,625federal debt4Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's Degree · $54,115 reported+5%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt5Social WorkBachelor's Degree · $52,511 reported+1%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt6Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's Degree · $41,649 reported+1%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in PA
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Saint Davids, PA
Eastern University
- Annual net price
- $26,662
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,587
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -70%
Chestnut Hill College
- Annual net price
- $27,970
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,896
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -70%
Delaware Valley University
- Annual net price
- $28,278
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,756
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -70%
Juniata College
- Annual net price
- $23,988
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,474
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -69%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering, General | Bachelor's Degree | $84,927 | $25,798 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $81,907 | $23,625 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $77,824 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Music | Master's Degree | $77,342 | Not available | 7 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $74,941 | Not available | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $67,900 | Not available | 0 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $66,222 | $25,978 | 2 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $65,838 | Not available | Not reported |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $60,976 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $56,005 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | Master's Degree | $55,966 | Not available | 11 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $54,256 | $23,250 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $54,115 | $27,000 | 9 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $53,052 | $27,000 | 0 |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $52,511 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $46,813 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $45,982 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | Bachelor's Degree | $45,522 | Not available | Not reported |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $41,649 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Not available | $26,500 | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Religious Education | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $25,965 | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.