Paine College vs. Cairn

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

 Paine College Cairn
Location Augusta, GA Langhorne, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 310 1,031
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website paine.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Paine College Cairn
Tuition (In State) $12,706 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $12,706 $31,255
Room & Board $7,512 $11,764
Avg Net Price $15,877 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $11,755 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 96%

Admission

 Paine College Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,302 468
Admitted 1,701 379
Acceptance Rate 51.5% 81%
Enrolled % 5.3% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA 2.81 3.31
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 15/19
SAT Range 776/976
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jul 1, 2025

Academics

 Paine College Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Communication (16%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 Paine College Cairn
Graduation Rate 27% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $28,400 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 15% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $35,750 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $369 $279

Diversity

 Paine College Cairn
% Men 43% 47%
% Women 57% 53%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 72%
% Black 89% 14%
% Hispanic 2% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Paine College Cairn
% In-State 71% 60%
% Out-of-State 28% 36%

Campus

 Paine College 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

  • Cairn University is larger than than Paine College based on total student enrollment (1,031 students vs. 310 students)

Paine College vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Paine College or Cairn?

  • Cairn University is 146% more expensive to attend than Paine College for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $12,706.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 146% higher at Cairn than Paine College ($31,255.00 vs. $12,706.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Paine College than Cairn ($15,877 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Paine College are 56.6% lower than costs at Cairn University ($7,512 vs. $11,764)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Paine College than Cairn University (100% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 56.3% larger than aid received Paine College ($18,376 vs. $11,755)

Paine College vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cairn University (976) is 227 points higher than at Paine College (749)
  • Incoming Cairn students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at Paine College (16)
  • Accepted freshman Cairn students have a 0.5 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at Paine College (2.81)
  • Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (81%) than Paine College (51.5%)

Paine College vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Paine 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 Paine College.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Paine College (63% vs. 27%)
  • Graduates from Cairn University earn on average $8,600 more per year than Paine College graduates after ten years. ($37,000 vs. $28,400)
  • Cairn University students graduate with a $8,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Paine College graduates. ($27,000 vs. $35,750)
  • Cairn graduates are paying $90 less per month on federal student loans than Paine College graduates. ($279 vs. $369)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Paine College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 15%)

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