Cairn vs. URI

Should I go to Cairn University or University of Rhode Island? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cairn or URI is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Cairn University vs. University of Rhode Island comparison
Cairn University University of Rhode Island College 3 College 4
University of Rhode Island
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Overview

 Cairn URI
Location Langhorne, PA Kingston, RI
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,056 17,351
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #703 #353
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cairn.edu uri.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cairn URI
Tuition (In State) $31,881 $14,116
Tuition (Out of State) $31,881 $33,512
Room & Board $12,234 $14,900
Avg Net Price $27,603 $20,964
Avg Grant Aid $17,852 $12,803
% Receiving Grant Aid 83% 98%

Admission

 Cairn URI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 505 25,391
Admitted 422 19,568
Acceptance Rate 83.6% 77.1%
Enrolled % 61.6% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/27 26/31
SAT Range 1050/1260 1030/1270
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 Cairn URI
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

 Cairn URI
Graduation Rate 63% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,000 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $23,438
Median Loan Payment $279 $242

Diversity

 Cairn URI
% Men 9% 6%
% Women 10% 10%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 72% 71%
% Black 14% 5%
% Hispanic 7% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

 Cairn URI
% In-State 60% 39%
% Out-of-State 36% 60%

Campus

 Cairn URI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Rhode Island is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (17,351 students vs. 1,056 students)

Cairn vs. URI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cairn or URI?

  • Cairn University is 125.9% more expensive to attend than URI for in-state tuition ($31,881.00 vs. $14,116.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.1% higher at URI than Cairn University ($33,512.00 vs. $31,881.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Rhode Island than Cairn ($20,964 vs. $27,603)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 21.8% lower than costs at University of Rhode Island ($12,234 vs. $14,900)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Rhode Island than Cairn University (98% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 39.4% larger than aid received University of Rhode Island ($17,852 vs. $12,803)

Cairn vs. URI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cairn or URI? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between URI or Cairn .

  • The average SAT score at University of Rhode Island (1077) is 101 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming URI students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Accepted freshman URI students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (83.6%) than URI (77.1%)

Cairn vs. URI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cairn or URI? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between URI and Cairn.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is the same as at University of Rhode Island (63% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of Rhode Island earn on average $19,200 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $37,000)
  • University of Rhode Island students graduate with a $3,562 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($23,438 vs. $27,000)
  • URI graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($242 vs. $279)
  • More URI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cairn students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/