Meredith vs. Cairn

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

Meredith Cairn
Location Raleigh, NC Langhorne, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,576 1,056
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #344 #703
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website meredith.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Meredith Cairn
Tuition (In State) $43,816 $31,881
Tuition (Out of State) $43,816 $31,881
Room & Board $12,920 $12,234
Avg Net Price $23,405 $27,603
Avg Grant Aid $32,095 $17,852
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 83%

Admission

Meredith Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,563 505
Admitted 1,167 422
Acceptance Rate 74.7% 83.6%
Enrolled % 27.8% 61.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.52 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/30 23/27
SAT Range 1110/1260 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, 2025

Academics

Meredith Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (18%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Work and Family Studies (10%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

Meredith Cairn
Graduation Rate 59% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $279

Diversity

Meredith Cairn
% Men 2% 9%
% Women 15% 10%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 72%
% Black 10% 14%
% Hispanic 3% 7%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

Meredith Cairn
% In-State 83% 60%
% Out-of-State 10% 36%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Meredith College is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (1,576 students vs. 1,056 students)

Meredith vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Meredith or Cairn?

  • Meredith College is 37.4% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($43,816.00 vs. $31,881.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.4% higher at Meredith than Cairn University ($43,816.00 vs. $31,881.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Meredith College than Cairn ($23,405 vs. $27,603)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 5.6% lower than costs at Meredith College ($12,234 vs. $12,920)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Meredith College than Cairn University (99% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Meredith College students is 79.8% larger than aid received Cairn University ($32,095 vs. $17,852)

Meredith vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Meredith College (1036) is 60 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming Meredith students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Accepted freshman Meredith students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.52) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (83.6%) than Meredith (74.7%)

Meredith vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Meredith 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 Meredith.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Meredith College (63% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Meredith College earn on average $3,000 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($40,000 vs. $37,000)
  • Meredith College students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Meredith 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 Meredith students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 65%)

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