Penn State Harrisburg vs. Cairn

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

 Penn State Harrisburg Cairn
Location Middletown, PA Langhorne, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 4,651 1,056
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #595 #703
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Harrisburg Cairn
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $31,881
Tuition (Out of State) $26,112 $31,881
Room & Board $15,870 $12,234
Avg Net Price $22,406 $27,603
Avg Grant Aid $8,421 $17,852
% Receiving Grant Aid 54% 83%

Admission

 Penn State Harrisburg Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,296 505
Admitted 9,924 422
Acceptance Rate 96.4% 83.6%
Enrolled % 12.2% 61.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/30 23/27
SAT Range 1110/1320 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

Academics

 Penn State Harrisburg Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Harrisburg Cairn
Graduation Rate 63% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Harrisburg Cairn
% Men 5% 9%
% Women 6% 10%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 59% 72%
% Black 11% 14%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 10% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Penn State Harrisburg Cairn
% In-State 46% 60%
% Out-of-State 27% 36%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (4,651 students vs. 1,056 students)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or Cairn?

  • Cairn University is 107.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($31,881.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.1% higher at Cairn than Penn State Harrisburg ($31,881.00 vs. $26,112.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Cairn ($22,406 vs. $27,603)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 29.7% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($12,234 vs. $15,870)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Penn State Harrisburg (83% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 112% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($17,852 vs. $8,421)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 67 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (96.4%) than Cairn (83.6%)

Penn State Harrisburg vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg 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 Penn State Harrisburg.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is the same as at Cairn University (63% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $18,300 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Harrisburg graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cairn students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 69%)

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