Pfeiffer University vs. Carlow University

Pfeiffer University vs. Carlow University comparison

	Pfeiffer University	Carlow University	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	Pfeiffer University	Carlow University
Location	Misenheimer, NC	Pittsburgh, PA
Setting	Distant Rural	Large City
Enrollment	1,076	2,104
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#627	#752
Religious Affiliation	United Methodist	Roman Catholic	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	pfeiffer.edu	carlow.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Pfeiffer University	Carlow University
Tuition (In State)	$31,940	$32,402
Tuition (Out of State)	$31,940	$32,402
Room & Board	$12,520	$13,014
Avg Net Price	$21,575	$17,437
Avg Grant Aid	$24,926	$26,713
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	99%

Admission	Pfeiffer University	Carlow University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,299	1,124
Admitted	897	1,042
Acceptance Rate	69.1%	92.7%
Enrolled %	18.4%	19.1%
Avg High School GPA	3.18	3.6
Typical High School Grades	B	B+
Admissions Standards	Easy	Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition	Low
ACT Range	18/25
SAT Range	891/1165	850/1100
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	Aug 15, 2025

Academics	Pfeiffer University	Carlow University
Student to Faculty Ratio	14:1	10:1
Popular Majors	Business (28%) Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%) Education (12%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%) Health Professions (5%)	Health Professions (26%) Education (24%) Business (13%) Psychology (9%) Biology (6%)
Outcomes	Pfeiffer University	Carlow University
Graduation Rate	45%	51%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$41,100	$41,900
Making Student Loan Payments	56%	59%
Median Student Loan Debt	$22,399	$27,000
Median Loan Payment	$231	$279

Diversity	Pfeiffer University	Carlow University
% Men	39%	14%
% Women	61%	86%
Racial Diversity	High	Medium
HBCU	No	No
% White	52%	61%
% Black	21%	22%
% Hispanic	3%	2%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	2%	5%
% International	6%	0%
% Unknown Race	15%	8%

Students	Pfeiffer University	Carlow University
% In-State	72%	88%
% Out-of-State	24%	11%
Campus	Pfeiffer University	Carlow University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	Yes
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Carlow University is larger than than Pfeiffer University based on total student enrollment (2,104 students vs. 1,076 students)

Pfeiffer University vs. Carlow University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Pfeiffer University or Carlow University?

• Carlow University is 1.4% more expensive to attend than Pfeiffer University for in-state tuition ($32,402.00 vs. $31,940.00)
• Out of state tuition is 1.4% higher at Carlow University than Pfeiffer University ($32,402.00 vs. $31,940.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Carlow University than Pfeiffer University ($17,437 vs. $21,575)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pfeiffer University are 3.9% lower than costs at Carlow University ($12,520 vs. $13,014)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Pfeiffer University than Carlow University (100% vs. 99%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Carlow University students is 7.2% larger than aid received Pfeiffer University ($26,713 vs. $24,926)

Pfeiffer University vs. Carlow University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Carlow University (972) is 41 points higher than at Pfeiffer University (931)
• Incoming Carlow University students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at Pfeiffer University (20)
• Accepted freshman Carlow University students have a 0.42 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Pfeiffer University (3.18)
• Carlow University has a higher acceptance rate (92.7%) than Pfeiffer University (69.1%)

Pfeiffer University vs. Carlow University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Pfeiffer University or Carlow University? 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 Carlow University and Pfeiffer University.

• The graduation rate at Carlow University is higher than Pfeiffer University (51% vs. 45%)
• Graduates from Carlow University earn on average $800 more per year than Pfeiffer University graduates after ten years. ($41,900 vs. $41,100)
• Pfeiffer University students graduate with a $4,601 lower median federal student loan debt than Carlow University graduates. ($22,399 vs. $27,000)
• Pfeiffer University graduates are paying $48 less per month on federal student loans than Carlow University graduates. ($231 vs. $279)
• More Carlow University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pfeiffer University students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 56%)

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