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UMBC TU Maryland Mason Salisbury Mary Washington College Mount St. Mary's University Eastern University Frostburg State University McDaniel College UD Liberty University| St Mary's College of Maryland | Cairn University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
St. Mary's | Cairn | ||
| Location | St. Mary's City, MD | Langhorne, PA | ||
| Setting | Distant Rural | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 1,587 | 1,056 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #148 | #703 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | smcm.edu | cairn.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
St. Mary's | Cairn | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $12,116 | $31,881 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $28,192 | $31,881 | ||
| Room & Board | $14,672 | $12,234 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $20,679 | $27,603 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $11,016 | $17,852 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 98% | 83% |
Admission |
St. Mary's | Cairn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 3,109 | 505 | ||
| Admitted | 2,344 | 422 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 75.4% | 83.6% | ||
| Enrolled % | 18.9% | 61.6% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.45 | 3.31 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Difficult | Average | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 24/30 | 23/27 | ||
| SAT Range | 1110/1330 | 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 | Jan 15, 2026 |
Academics |
St. Mary's | Cairn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 10:1 | 11:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
St. Mary's | Cairn | ||
| Graduation Rate | 79% | 63% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $51,500 | $37,000 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 82% | 69% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $20,370 | $27,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $210 | $279 |
Diversity |
St. Mary's | Cairn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 0% | 9% | ||
| % Women | 0% | 10% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Low | Low | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 71% | 72% | ||
| % Black | 8% | 14% | ||
| % Hispanic | 8% | 7% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 2% | ||
| % International | 1% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 3% | 0% |
Students |
St. Mary's | Cairn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 86% | 60% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 14% | 36% | ||
Campus |
St. Mary's | 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
- St Mary's College of Maryland is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (1,587 students vs. 1,056 students)
St. Mary's vs. Cairn Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's or Cairn?
- Cairn University is 163.1% more expensive to attend than St. Mary's for in-state tuition ($31,881.00 vs. $12,116.00)
- Out of state tuition is 13.1% higher at Cairn than St Mary's College of Maryland ($31,881.00 vs. $28,192.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Mary's College of Maryland than Cairn ($20,679 vs. $27,603)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 19.9% lower than costs at St Mary's College of Maryland ($12,234 vs. $14,672)
- More students receive financial grant aid at St Mary's College of Maryland than Cairn University (98% vs. 83%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 62.1% larger than aid received St Mary's College of Maryland ($17,852 vs. $11,016)
St. Mary's vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, St. Mary's or Cairn? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cairn or St. Mary's .
- The average SAT score at St Mary's College of Maryland (1145) is 169 points higher than at Cairn (976)
- Incoming St. Mary's students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Cairn (21)
- Accepted freshman St. Mary's students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at Cairn (3.31)
- Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (83.6%) than St. Mary's (75.4%)
St. Mary's vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's.
- The graduation rate at St. Mary's is higher than Cairn University (79% vs. 63%)
- Graduates from St Mary's College of Maryland earn on average $14,500 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($51,500 vs. $37,000)
- St Mary's College of Maryland students graduate with a $6,630 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($20,370 vs. $27,000)
- St. Mary's graduates are paying $69 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($210 vs. $279)
- More St. Mary's graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cairn students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 69%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/