Paine College vs. CU

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

 Paine College CU
Location Augusta, GA Lebanon, TN
Setting Midsize City Distant Town
Enrollment 310 2,588
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website paine.edu cumberland.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Paine College CU
Tuition (In State) $12,706 $25,200
Tuition (Out of State) $12,706 $25,200
Room & Board $7,512 $8,990
Avg Net Price $15,877 $18,528
Avg Grant Aid $11,755 $22,145
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 Paine College CU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,302 2,137
Admitted 1,701 1,415
Acceptance Rate 51.5% 66.2%
Enrolled % 5.3% 44.5%
Avg High School GPA 2.81 3.3
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 15/19
SAT Range 776/976
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jul 1, 2025

Academics

 Paine College CU
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Communication (16%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Health Professions (46%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Biology (4%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (4%)

Outcomes

 Paine College CU
Graduation Rate 27% 34%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $28,400 $39,900
Making Student Loan Payments 15% 60%
Median Student Loan Debt $35,750 $21,729
Median Loan Payment $369 $224

Diversity

 Paine College CU
% Men 43% 42%
% Women 57% 58%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 63%
% Black 89% 12%
% Hispanic 2% 3%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 0%
% International 3% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 16%

Students

 Paine College CU
% In-State 71% 88%
% Out-of-State 28% 8%

Campus

 Paine College CU
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

  • Cumberland University is larger than than Paine College based on total student enrollment (2,588 students vs. 310 students)

Paine College vs. CU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Paine College or CU?

  • Cumberland University is 98.3% more expensive to attend than Paine College for in-state tuition ($25,200.00 vs. $12,706.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 98.3% higher at CU than Paine College ($25,200.00 vs. $12,706.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Paine College than CU ($15,877 vs. $18,528)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Paine College are 19.7% lower than costs at Cumberland University ($7,512 vs. $8,990)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Paine College as Cumberland University (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cumberland University students is 88.4% larger than aid received Paine College ($22,145 vs. $11,755)

Paine College vs. CU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cumberland University (989) is 240 points higher than at Paine College (749)
  • Incoming CU students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at Paine College (16)
  • Accepted freshman CU students have a 0.49 point higher average high school GPA (3.3) than students at Paine College (2.81)
  • CU has a higher acceptance rate (66.2%) than Paine College (51.5%)

Paine College vs. CU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Paine College or CU? 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 CU and Paine College.

  • The graduation rate at CU is higher than Paine College (34% vs. 27%)
  • Graduates from Cumberland University earn on average $11,500 more per year than Paine College graduates after ten years. ($39,900 vs. $28,400)
  • Cumberland University students graduate with a $14,021 lower median federal student loan debt than Paine College graduates. ($21,729 vs. $35,750)
  • CU graduates are paying $145 less per month on federal student loans than Paine College graduates. ($224 vs. $369)
  • More CU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Paine College students, three years after graduation. (60% vs. 15%)

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