ECU vs. Cairn

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

ECU Cairn
Location Greenville, NC Langhorne, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 26,785 1,056
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #587 #703
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ecu.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ECU Cairn
Tuition (In State) $4,452 $31,881
Tuition (Out of State) $20,729 $31,881
Room & Board $11,000 $12,234
Avg Net Price $14,470 $27,603
Avg Grant Aid $8,836 $17,852
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 83%

Admission

ECU Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,289 505
Admitted 20,073 422
Acceptance Rate 90.1% 83.6%
Enrolled % 19.6% 61.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.33 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 23/27
SAT Range 1050/1200 1050/1260
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

Academics

ECU Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

ECU Cairn
Graduation Rate 59% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,900 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,788 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $256 $279

Diversity

ECU Cairn
% Men 6% 9%
% Women 14% 10%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 72%
% Black 16% 14%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

ECU Cairn
% In-State 82% 60%
% Out-of-State 17% 36%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • East Carolina University is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (26,785 students vs. 1,056 students)

ECU vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECU or Cairn?

  • Cairn University is 616.1% more expensive to attend than ECU for in-state tuition ($31,881.00 vs. $4,452.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 53.8% higher at Cairn than East Carolina University ($31,881.00 vs. $20,729.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at East Carolina University than Cairn ($14,470 vs. $27,603)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at East Carolina University are 11.2% lower than costs at Cairn University ($11,000 vs. $12,234)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than East Carolina University (83% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 102% larger than aid received East Carolina University ($17,852 vs. $8,836)

ECU vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at East Carolina University (1053) is 77 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming ECU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Accepted freshman ECU students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.33) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • ECU has a higher acceptance rate (90.1%) than Cairn (83.6%)

ECU vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ECU 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 ECU.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than East Carolina University (63% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from East Carolina University earn on average $6,900 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($43,900 vs. $37,000)
  • East Carolina University students graduate with a $2,212 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($24,788 vs. $27,000)
  • ECU graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($256 vs. $279)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ECU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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