SCSU vs. Cairn

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

SCSU Cairn
Location New Haven, CT Langhorne, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 8,889 1,031
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website southernct.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SCSU Cairn
Tuition (In State) $6,470 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $19,358 $31,255
Room & Board $14,076 $11,764
Avg Net Price $18,712 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $7,308 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 96%

Admission

SCSU Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,316 468
Admitted 6,896 379
Acceptance Rate 82.9% 81%
Enrolled % 16% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.31
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
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

SCSU Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (14%)
  • Psychology (14%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

SCSU Cairn
Graduation Rate 44% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,800 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $240 $279

Diversity

SCSU Cairn
% Men 35% 47%
% Women 65% 53%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 56% 72%
% Black 18% 14%
% Hispanic 10% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 10% 0%

Students

SCSU Cairn
% In-State 92% 60%
% Out-of-State 7% 36%

Campus

SCSU 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

  • Southern Connecticut State University is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (8,889 students vs. 1,031 students)

SCSU vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SCSU or Cairn?

  • Cairn University is 383.1% more expensive to attend than SCSU for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $6,470.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 61.5% higher at Cairn than Southern Connecticut State University ($31,255.00 vs. $19,358.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southern Connecticut State University than Cairn ($18,712 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 19.7% lower than costs at Southern Connecticut State University ($11,764 vs. $14,076)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Southern Connecticut State University (96% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 151.5% larger than aid received Southern Connecticut State University ($18,376 vs. $7,308)

SCSU vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cairn University (976) is 58 points higher than at SCSU (918)
  • Incoming Cairn students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at SCSU (20)
  • Accepted freshman Cairn students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at SCSU (3.2)
  • SCSU has a higher acceptance rate (82.9%) than Cairn (81%)

SCSU vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SCSU 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 SCSU.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Southern Connecticut State University (63% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Southern Connecticut State University earn on average $8,800 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($45,800 vs. $37,000)
  • Southern Connecticut State University students graduate with a $3,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($23,250 vs. $27,000)
  • SCSU graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($240 vs. $279)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SCSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 62%)

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