ECSU vs. Cairn

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

ECSU Cairn
Location Elizabeth City, NC Langhorne, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,149 1,031
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #964
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ecsu.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ECSU Cairn
Tuition (In State) $1,000 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $5,000 $31,255
Room & Board $8,727 $11,764
Avg Net Price $4,120 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $8,877 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 96%

Admission

ECSU Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,927 468
Admitted 2,912 379
Acceptance Rate 74.2% 81%
Enrolled % 12% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.16 3.31
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 16/22
SAT Range 850/1070
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 Jun 30, 2025

Academics

ECSU Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

ECSU Cairn
Graduation Rate 44% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $30,700 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 23% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,125 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $270 $279

Diversity

ECSU Cairn
% Men 42% 47%
% Women 58% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 14% 72%
% Black 74% 14%
% Hispanic 2% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 8% 0%

Students

ECSU Cairn
% In-State 65% 60%
% Out-of-State 32% 36%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Elizabeth City State University is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (2,149 students vs. 1,031 students)

ECSU vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECSU or Cairn?

  • Cairn University is 3,025.5% more expensive to attend than ECSU for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $1,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 525.1% higher at Cairn than Elizabeth City State University ($31,255.00 vs. $5,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Elizabeth City State University than Cairn ($4,120 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Elizabeth City State University are 34.8% lower than costs at Cairn University ($8,727 vs. $11,764)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Elizabeth City State University (96% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 107% larger than aid received Elizabeth City State University ($18,376 vs. $8,877)

ECSU vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cairn University (976) is 132 points higher than at ECSU (844)
  • Incoming Cairn students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at ECSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman Cairn students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at ECSU (3.16)
  • Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (81%) than ECSU (74.2%)

ECSU vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ECSU 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 ECSU.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Elizabeth City State University (63% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Cairn University earn on average $6,300 more per year than ECSU graduates after ten years. ($37,000 vs. $30,700)
  • Elizabeth City State University students graduate with a $875 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,125 vs. $27,000)
  • ECSU graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($270 vs. $279)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ECSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 23%)

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