Penn State Mont Alto vs. Cairn

Should I go to Penn State Mont Alto or Cairn University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Mont Alto 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

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Penn State Altoona Eastern University Liberty University Messiah College Ship Millersville University of Pennsylvania Penn State Harrisburg
Penn State Mont Alto vs. Cairn University comparison
Penn State Mont Alto Cairn University College 3 College 4
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Penn State Mont Alto Cairn
Location Mont Alto, PA Langhorne, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 670 1,031
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Mont Alto Cairn
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $31,255
Room & Board $12,254 $11,764
Avg Net Price $19,838 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $9,124 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 96%

Admission

 Penn State Mont Alto Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 678 468
Admitted 619 379
Acceptance Rate 91.3% 81%
Enrolled % 30.7% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.31
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range 1020/1230
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 Mont Alto Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (60%)
  • Work and Family Studies (9%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (9%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Mont Alto Cairn
Graduation Rate 52% 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 Mont Alto Cairn
% Men 41% 47%
% Women 59% 53%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 80% 72%
% Black 8% 14%
% Hispanic 5% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Mont Alto Cairn
% In-State 76% 60%
% Out-of-State 24% 36%

Campus

 Penn State Mont Alto 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 Penn State Mont Alto based on total student enrollment (1,031 students vs. 670 students)

Penn State Mont Alto vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Mont Alto or Cairn?

  • Cairn University is 126.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Mont Alto for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.4% higher at Cairn than Penn State Mont Alto ($31,255.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Mont Alto than Cairn ($19,838 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 4.2% lower than costs at Penn State Mont Alto ($11,764 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Penn State Mont Alto (96% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 101.4% larger than aid received Penn State Mont Alto ($18,376 vs. $9,124)

Penn State Mont Alto vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cairn University (976) is 21 points higher than at Penn State Mont Alto (955)
  • Incoming Penn State Mont Alto students have at the same average ACT score (21) as students at Cairn (21)
  • Penn State Mont Alto has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than Cairn (81%)

Penn State Mont Alto vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Mont Alto 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 Mont Alto.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Penn State Mont Alto (63% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Mont Alto earn on average $18,300 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,000)
  • Penn State Mont Alto students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Mont Alto graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Mont Alto 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/