Iona College vs. Cairn

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

Iona College Cairn
Location New Rochelle, NY Langhorne, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,720 1,056
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #492 #703
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iona.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Iona College Cairn
Tuition (In State) $43,680 $31,881
Tuition (Out of State) $43,680 $31,881
Room & Board $18,270 $12,234
Avg Net Price $28,557 $27,603
Avg Grant Aid $29,258 $17,852
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 83%

Admission

Iona College Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,289 505
Admitted 6,643 422
Acceptance Rate 91.1% 83.6%
Enrolled % 12.1% 61.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/28 23/27
SAT Range 1055/1265 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 Feb 15, 2026

Academics

Iona College Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (37%)
  • Communication (17%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

Iona College Cairn
Graduation Rate 57% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,400 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,047 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $269 $279

Diversity

Iona College Cairn
% Men 5% 9%
% Women 11% 10%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 58% 72%
% Black 8% 14%
% Hispanic 22% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 5% 0%

Students

Iona College Cairn
% In-State 78% 60%
% Out-of-State 20% 36%

Campus

Iona College 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

  • Iona College is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (3,720 students vs. 1,056 students)

Iona College vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Iona College or Cairn?

  • Iona College is 37% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($43,680.00 vs. $31,881.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37% higher at Iona College than Cairn University ($43,680.00 vs. $31,881.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cairn University than Iona College ($27,603 vs. $28,557)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 49.3% lower than costs at Iona College ($12,234 vs. $18,270)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Iona College than Cairn University (100% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Iona College students is 63.9% larger than aid received Cairn University ($29,258 vs. $17,852)

Iona College vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Iona College (1005) is 29 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming Iona College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Accepted freshman Iona College students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • Iona College has a higher acceptance rate (91.1%) than Cairn (83.6%)

Iona College vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Iona 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 Iona College.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Iona College (63% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from Iona College earn on average $21,400 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($58,400 vs. $37,000)
  • Iona College students graduate with a $953 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,047 vs. $27,000)
  • Iona College graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($269 vs. $279)
  • More Iona College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cairn students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 69%)

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