Menlo vs. Cairn

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

 Menlo Cairn
Location Atherton, CA Langhorne, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 800 1,031
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website menlo.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Menlo Cairn
Tuition (In State) $48,260 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $48,260 $31,255
Room & Board $16,250 $11,764
Avg Net Price $29,151 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $34,632 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 96%

Admission

 Menlo Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,357 468
Admitted 2,072 379
Acceptance Rate 61.7% 81%
Enrolled % 9.8% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2025

Academics

 Menlo Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (67%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Psychology (1%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 Menlo Cairn
Graduation Rate 34% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,900 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 55% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,062 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $217 $279

Diversity

 Menlo Cairn
% Men 56% 47%
% Women 44% 53%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 29% 72%
% Black 6% 14%
% Hispanic 22% 7%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 2% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 2%
% International 14% 2%
% Unknown Race 9% 0%

Students

 Menlo Cairn
% In-State 49% 60%
% Out-of-State 22% 36%

Campus

 Menlo 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

  • Cairn University is larger than than Menlo based on total student enrollment (1,031 students vs. 800 students)

Menlo vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Menlo or Cairn?

  • Menlo College is 54.4% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($48,260.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 54.4% higher at Menlo than Cairn University ($48,260.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cairn University than Menlo ($25,923 vs. $29,151)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 38.1% lower than costs at Menlo College ($11,764 vs. $16,250)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Menlo College than Cairn University (100% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Menlo College students is 88.5% larger than aid received Cairn University ($34,632 vs. $18,376)

Menlo vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Menlo College (1018) is 42 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming Menlo students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Accepted freshman Cairn students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at Menlo (3.3)
  • Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (81%) than Menlo (61.7%)

Menlo vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Menlo 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 Menlo.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Menlo College (63% vs. 34%)
  • Graduates from Menlo College earn on average $16,900 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($53,900 vs. $37,000)
  • Menlo College students graduate with a $5,938 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($21,062 vs. $27,000)
  • Menlo graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($217 vs. $279)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Menlo students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 55%)

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