FDU vs. Cairn

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

 FDU Cairn
Location Madison, NJ Langhorne, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,778 1,056
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #368 #703
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fdu.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 FDU Cairn
Tuition (In State) $34,578 $31,881
Tuition (Out of State) $34,578 $31,881
Room & Board $16,102 $12,234
Avg Net Price $26,472 $27,603
Avg Grant Aid $25,882 $17,852
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 83%

Admission

 FDU Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,457 505
Admitted 4,246 422
Acceptance Rate 95.3% 83.6%
Enrolled % 12.1% 61.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/30 23/27
SAT Range 1040/1310 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

 FDU Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Psychology (16%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 FDU Cairn
Graduation Rate 55% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,900 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $279

Diversity

 FDU Cairn
% Men 8% 9%
% Women 20% 10%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 58% 72%
% Black 11% 14%
% Hispanic 16% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 7% 0%

Students

 FDU Cairn
% In-State 85% 60%
% Out-of-State 14% 36%

Campus

 FDU 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

  • Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (2,778 students vs. 1,056 students)

FDU vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, FDU or Cairn?

  • Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham is 8.5% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($34,578.00 vs. $31,881.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.5% higher at FDU than Cairn University ($34,578.00 vs. $31,881.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham than Cairn ($26,472 vs. $27,603)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 31.6% lower than costs at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham ($12,234 vs. $16,102)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham than Cairn University (98% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham students is 45% larger than aid received Cairn University ($25,882 vs. $17,852)

FDU vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham (1034) is 58 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming FDU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Accepted freshman FDU students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • FDU has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than Cairn (83.6%)

FDU vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, FDU 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 FDU.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham (63% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham earn on average $15,900 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($52,900 vs. $37,000)
  • Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • FDU graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former FDU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 60%)

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