Dickinson College vs. Cairn

Should I go to Dickinson College or Cairn University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Dickinson College or Cairn 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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Dickinson College vs. Cairn University comparison
Dickinson College Cairn University College 3 College 4
Dickinson College
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Overview

Dickinson College Cairn
Location Carlisle, PA Langhorne, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,137 1,031
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website dickinson.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Dickinson College Cairn
Tuition (In State) $60,776 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $60,776 $31,255
Room & Board $15,938 $11,764
Avg Net Price $37,610 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $39,554 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 96%

Admission

Dickinson College Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,261 468
Admitted 2,885 379
Acceptance Rate 34.9% 81%
Enrolled % 20% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.31
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range
SAT Range
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 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

Dickinson College Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Ethnic Studies (11%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

Dickinson College Cairn
Graduation Rate 84% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $62,000 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $217 $279

Diversity

Dickinson College Cairn
% Men 42% 47%
% Women 58% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 72% 72%
% Black 4% 14%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 10% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

Dickinson College Cairn
% In-State 23% 60%
% Out-of-State 63% 36%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Dickinson College is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (2,137 students vs. 1,031 students)

Dickinson College vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Dickinson College or Cairn?

  • Dickinson College is 94.5% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($60,776.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 94.5% higher at Dickinson College than Cairn University ($60,776.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cairn University than Dickinson College ($25,923 vs. $37,610)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 35.5% lower than costs at Dickinson College ($11,764 vs. $15,938)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Dickinson College (96% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dickinson College students is 115.2% larger than aid received Cairn University ($39,554 vs. $18,376)

Dickinson College vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (81%) than Dickinson College (34.9%)

Dickinson College vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Dickinson College or Cairn? 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 Cairn and Dickinson College.

  • The graduation rate at Dickinson College is higher than Cairn University (84% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Dickinson College earn on average $25,000 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($62,000 vs. $37,000)
  • Dickinson College students graduate with a $6,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($21,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Dickinson College graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($217 vs. $279)
  • More Dickinson College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cairn students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 69%)

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