Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Cairn

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

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cairn
Location Lehman, PA Langhorne, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 353 1,056
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #703
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cairn
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $31,881
Tuition (Out of State) $23,316 $31,881
Room & Board $13,448 $12,234
Avg Net Price $16,275 $27,603
Avg Grant Aid $8,945 $17,852
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 83%

Admission

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 640 505
Admitted 605 422
Acceptance Rate 94.5% 83.6%
Enrolled % 14.9% 61.6%
Avg High School GPA - 3.31
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/27
SAT Range 1060/1305 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 Wilkes-Barre Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cairn
Graduation Rate 47% 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 Wilkes-Barre Cairn
% Men 0% 9%
% Women 1% 10%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 88% 72%
% Black 3% 14%
% Hispanic 5% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cairn
% In-State 83% 60%
% Out-of-State 17% 36%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Cairn University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (1,056 students vs. 353 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Wilkes-Barre or Cairn?

  • Cairn University is 130.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($31,881.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.7% higher at Cairn than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($31,881.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Cairn ($16,275 vs. $27,603)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 9.9% lower than costs at Penn State Wilkes Barre ($12,234 vs. $13,448)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Cairn University (91% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 99.6% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($17,852 vs. $8,945)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Wilkes Barre (982) is 6 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming Penn State Wilkes-Barre students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Cairn (83.6%)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $18,300 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,000)
  • Penn State Wilkes Barre students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre 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/