Saint Marys College of California vs. Cairn

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

Saint Marys College of California Cairn
Location Moraga, CA Langhorne, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,775 1,056
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #289 #703
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stmarys-ca.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Saint Marys College of California Cairn
Tuition (In State) $55,634 $31,881
Tuition (Out of State) $55,634 $31,881
Room & Board $16,900 $12,234
Avg Net Price $31,615 $27,603
Avg Grant Aid $42,080 $17,852
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 83%

Admission

Saint Marys College of California Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,308 505
Admitted 3,816 422
Acceptance Rate 88.6% 83.6%
Enrolled % 13.2% 61.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 23/27
SAT Range 1070/1253 1050/1260
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026

Academics

Saint Marys College of California Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (30%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

Saint Marys College of California Cairn
Graduation Rate 61% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,800 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 71% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $279

Diversity

Saint Marys College of California Cairn
% Men 10% 9%
% Women 16% 10%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 46% 72%
% Black 4% 14%
% Hispanic 25% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 2%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 0%

Students

Saint Marys College of California Cairn
% In-State 84% 60%
% Out-of-State 13% 36%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Saint Marys College of California is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (2,775 students vs. 1,056 students)

Saint Marys College of California vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Saint Marys College of California or Cairn?

  • Saint Marys College of California is 74.5% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($55,634.00 vs. $31,881.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 74.5% higher at Saint Marys College of California than Cairn University ($55,634.00 vs. $31,881.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Cairn University than Saint Marys College of California ($27,603 vs. $31,615)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 38.1% lower than costs at Saint Marys College of California ($12,234 vs. $16,900)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Marys College of California than Cairn University (100% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Marys College of California students is 135.7% larger than aid received Cairn University ($42,080 vs. $17,852)

Saint Marys College of California vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Saint Marys College of California (1124) is 148 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming Saint Marys College of California students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Accepted freshman Saint Marys College of California students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • Saint Marys College of California has a higher acceptance rate (88.6%) than Cairn (83.6%)

Saint Marys College of California vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Saint Marys College of California 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 Saint Marys College of California.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Saint Marys College of California (63% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from Saint Marys College of California earn on average $29,800 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($66,800 vs. $37,000)
  • Saint Marys College of California students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($25,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Saint Marys College of California graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($258 vs. $279)
  • More Saint Marys College of California graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cairn students, three years after graduation. (71% vs. 69%)

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