GSC vs. Cairn

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

 GSC Cairn
Location Concord, NH Langhorne, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,425 1,031
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website granite.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 GSC Cairn
Tuition (In State) $7,536 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $8,880 $31,255
Room & Board $9,828 $11,764
Avg Net Price $11,850 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $5,318 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 96%

Admission

 GSC Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 468
Admitted - 379
Acceptance Rate Open 81%
Enrolled % Open 53.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.31
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 GSC Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (35%)
  • General Studies (31%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (3%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 GSC Cairn
Graduation Rate 45% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,500 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 49% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,384 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $148 $279

Diversity

 GSC Cairn
% Men 28% 47%
% Women 72% 53%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 85% 72%
% Black 2% 14%
% Hispanic 3% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 7% 0%

Students

 GSC Cairn
% In-State 71% 60%
% Out-of-State 29% 36%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Granite State College is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (1,425 students vs. 1,031 students)

GSC vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, GSC or Cairn?

  • Cairn University is 314.7% more expensive to attend than GSC for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $7,536.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 252% higher at Cairn than Granite State College ($31,255.00 vs. $8,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Granite State College than Cairn ($11,850 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Granite State College are 19.7% lower than costs at Cairn University ($9,828 vs. $11,764)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Granite State College (96% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 245.5% larger than aid received Granite State College ($18,376 vs. $5,318)

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

GSC vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, GSC 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 GSC.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Granite State College (63% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from Cairn University earn on average $500 more per year than GSC graduates after ten years. ($37,000 vs. $36,500)
  • Granite State College students graduate with a $12,616 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($14,384 vs. $27,000)
  • GSC graduates are paying $131 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($148 vs. $279)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former GSC students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 49%)

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