Penn State York vs. Cairn

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

 Penn State York Cairn
Location York, PA Langhorne, PA
Setting Midsize Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 707 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 York Cairn
Tuition (In State) $14,624 $31,881
Tuition (Out of State) $24,562 $31,881
Room & Board $13,448 $12,234
Avg Net Price $19,159 $27,603
Avg Grant Aid $8,372 $17,852
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 83%

Admission

 Penn State York Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,012 505
Admitted 1,855 422
Acceptance Rate 92.2% 83.6%
Enrolled % 10% 61.6%
Avg High School GPA - 3.31
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/27
SAT Range 1070/1270 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 York Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Work and Family Studies (24%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 Penn State York Cairn
Graduation Rate 45% 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 York Cairn
% Men 0% 9%
% Women 1% 10%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 63% 72%
% Black 6% 14%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 15% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Penn State York Cairn
% In-State 81% 60%
% Out-of-State 17% 36%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Cairn University is larger than than Penn State York based on total student enrollment (1,056 students vs. 707 students)

Penn State York vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

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

  • Cairn University is 118% more expensive to attend than Penn State York for in-state tuition ($31,881.00 vs. $14,624.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.8% higher at Cairn than Penn State York ($31,881.00 vs. $24,562.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State York than Cairn ($19,159 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 York ($12,234 vs. $13,448)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Penn State York (83% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 113.2% larger than aid received Penn State York ($17,852 vs. $8,372)

Penn State York vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State York (1050) is 74 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming Penn State York students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Penn State York has a higher acceptance rate (92.2%) than Cairn (83.6%)

Penn State York vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State York 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 York.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Penn State York (63% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from Penn State York earn on average $18,300 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,000)
  • Penn State York students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State York graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State York 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/