Merrimack vs. Cairn

Should I go to Merrimack College or Cairn University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Merrimack 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Merrimack College vs. Cairn University comparison
Merrimack College Cairn University College 3 College 4
Merrimack College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Merrimack Cairn
Location North Andover, MA Langhorne, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 5,505 1,031
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website merrimack.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Merrimack Cairn
Tuition (In State) $45,815 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $45,815 $31,255
Room & Board $18,295 $11,764
Avg Net Price $37,296 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $27,729 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 96%

Admission

Merrimack Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,175 468
Admitted 9,833 379
Acceptance Rate 74.6% 81%
Enrolled % 12% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 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 Sep 1, 2024

Academics

Merrimack Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

Merrimack Cairn
Graduation Rate 70% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $58,000 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

Merrimack Cairn
% Men 43% 47%
% Women 57% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 72%
% Black 3% 14%
% Hispanic 5% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 5% 2%
% Unknown Race 11% 0%

Students

Merrimack Cairn
% In-State 66% 60%
% Out-of-State 31% 36%

Campus

Merrimack 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

  • Merrimack College is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (5,505 students vs. 1,031 students)

Merrimack vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Merrimack or Cairn?

  • Merrimack College is 46.6% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($45,815.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 46.6% higher at Merrimack than Cairn University ($45,815.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cairn University than Merrimack ($25,923 vs. $37,296)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 55.5% lower than costs at Merrimack College ($11,764 vs. $18,295)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Merrimack College than Cairn University (97% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Merrimack College students is 50.9% larger than aid received Cairn University ($27,729 vs. $18,376)

Merrimack vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Cairn students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at Merrimack (3.3)
  • Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (81%) than Merrimack (74.6%)

Merrimack vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Merrimack 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 Merrimack.

  • The graduation rate at Merrimack is higher than Cairn University (70% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Merrimack College earn on average $21,000 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($58,000 vs. $37,000)
  • Cairn University and Merrimack graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Cairn University and Merrimack graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More Merrimack graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cairn students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 69%)

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