"Master's University" vs. "Comprehensive College"?

Question

I am getting ready to go to college this fall. I have two prospective colleges in my area that I am interested in. The schools have to be in my area as I have a family and can't move.
Both offer a Pre-Medical program and are very good schools. In my research to help decide which school to attend I came accross USNews.com that had one school ranked high in a classification called "Master's Universities" and one that ranked high in "Comprehensive College's". Aside from this and the fact that one is in an urban setting and the other is in a suburban setting they are almost identical, tuition, affiliation, selectivity, ect.
I have tried to research which would be the better path between them from a medical standpoint, but can't find anything.
Any help would be appreciated.

And if it helps they are:
Gannon University
and
Mercyhurst College

Answer 1

Technically, "Comprehensive Colleges" are primarily bachelor-degree granting institutions, and "Masters Universities" offer more Masters degrees than do comprehensive colleges. This is just a technical difference (according to the old Carnegie Classification scheme), and should not factor into your decision at all.

Mercyhurst is slightly more selective in admissions than Gannon, and that tips the scale in its favor, in my opinion.

However, Mercyhurst is on a trimester (as opposed to a semester) system, and that could work either for or against you as a family man. I'd factor that into my decision if I were you.

Bottom line:
These really are pretty much identical institutions. Visit both campuses, and investigate how Mercyhurst's trimester system would or would not work for you. I wish you success, whichever you choose!