Mercyhurst College vs. Cairn

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

 Mercyhurst College Cairn
Location Erie, PA Langhorne, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,801 1,031
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mercyhurst.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Mercyhurst College Cairn
Tuition (In State) $40,530 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $40,530 $31,255
Room & Board $14,025 $11,764
Avg Net Price $24,935 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $32,418 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 96%

Admission

 Mercyhurst College Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,625 468
Admitted 2,920 379
Acceptance Rate 80.6% 81%
Enrolled % 18.7% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.36 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
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

Academics

 Mercyhurst College Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (7%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 Mercyhurst College Cairn
Graduation Rate 68% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,700 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,698 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $276 $279

Diversity

 Mercyhurst College Cairn
% Men 40% 47%
% Women 60% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 72%
% Black 6% 14%
% Hispanic 2% 7%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 11% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 0%

Students

 Mercyhurst College Cairn
% In-State 51% 60%
% Out-of-State 45% 36%

Campus

 Mercyhurst 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

  • Mercyhurst College is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (2,801 students vs. 1,031 students)

Mercyhurst College vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mercyhurst College or Cairn?

  • Mercyhurst College is 29.7% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($40,530.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.7% higher at Mercyhurst College than Cairn University ($40,530.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Mercyhurst College than Cairn ($24,935 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 19.2% lower than costs at Mercyhurst College ($11,764 vs. $14,025)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Mercyhurst College (96% vs. 95%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercyhurst College students is 76.4% larger than aid received Cairn University ($32,418 vs. $18,376)

Mercyhurst College vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Mercyhurst College students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.36) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (81%) than Mercyhurst College (80.6%)

Mercyhurst College vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mercyhurst 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 Mercyhurst College.

  • The graduation rate at Mercyhurst College is higher than Cairn University (68% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Mercyhurst College earn on average $6,700 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($43,700 vs. $37,000)
  • Mercyhurst College students graduate with a $302 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,698 vs. $27,000)
  • Mercyhurst College graduates are paying $3 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($276 vs. $279)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mercyhurst College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

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