SHU vs. Cairn

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

SHU Cairn
Location Fairfield, CT Langhorne, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 10,721 1,031
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sacredheart.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SHU Cairn
Tuition (In State) $46,310 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $46,310 $31,255
Room & Board $17,520 $11,764
Avg Net Price $45,280 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $19,484 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 96%

Admission

SHU Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,316 468
Admitted 8,750 379
Acceptance Rate 65.7% 81%
Enrolled % 20.3% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.55 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

SHU Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (36%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

SHU Cairn
Graduation Rate 68% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,700 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $279

Diversity

SHU Cairn
% Men 35% 47%
% Women 65% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 72%
% Black 4% 14%
% Hispanic 8% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 12% 0%

Students

SHU Cairn
% In-State 23% 60%
% Out-of-State 75% 36%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Sacred Heart University is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (10,721 students vs. 1,031 students)

SHU vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SHU or Cairn?

  • Sacred Heart University is 48.2% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($46,310.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 48.2% higher at SHU than Cairn University ($46,310.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cairn University than SHU ($25,923 vs. $45,280)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 48.9% lower than costs at Sacred Heart University ($11,764 vs. $17,520)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Sacred Heart University than Cairn University (99% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sacred Heart University students is 6% larger than aid received Cairn University ($19,484 vs. $18,376)

SHU vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman SHU students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.55) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (81%) than SHU (65.7%)

SHU vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SHU 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 SHU.

  • The graduation rate at SHU is higher than Cairn University (68% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Sacred Heart University earn on average $22,700 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($59,700 vs. $37,000)
  • Sacred Heart University students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($25,000 vs. $27,000)
  • SHU graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($258 vs. $279)
  • More SHU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cairn students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 69%)

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