Principia College vs. Cairn

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

Principia College Cairn
Location Elsah, Illinois Langhorne, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 338 1,056
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #703
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website principiacollege.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Principia College Cairn
Tuition (In State) $32,250 $31,881
Tuition (Out of State) $32,250 $31,881
Room & Board $13,370 $12,234
Avg Net Price $14,904 $27,603
Avg Grant Aid $32,096 $17,852
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 83%

Admission

Principia College Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 268 505
Admitted 119 422
Acceptance Rate 44.4% 83.6%
Enrolled % 70.6% 61.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.34 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/23 23/27
SAT Range 1040/1250 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

Principia College Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 5:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

Principia College Cairn
Graduation Rate - 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments - 69%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $27,000
Median Loan Payment N/A $279

Diversity

Principia College Cairn
% Men 0% 9%
% Women 0% 10%
Racial Diversity - Low
HBCU No No
% White 0% 72%
% Black 0% 14%
% Hispanic 0% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

Principia College Cairn
% In-State 3% 60%
% Out-of-State 41% 36%

Campus

Principia College Cairn
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Cairn University is larger than than Principia College based on total student enrollment (1,056 students vs. 338 students)

Principia College vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Principia College or Cairn?

  • Principia College is 1.2% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($32,250.00 vs. $31,881.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.2% higher at Principia College than Cairn University ($32,250.00 vs. $31,881.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Principia College than Cairn ($14,904 vs. $27,603)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 9.3% lower than costs at Principia College ($12,234 vs. $13,370)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Principia College than Cairn University (90% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Principia College students is 79.8% larger than aid received Cairn University ($32,096 vs. $17,852)

Principia College vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Principia College students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.34) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (83.6%) than Principia College (44.4%)

Principia College vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Principia College 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 Principia College.

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