Cairn vs. VSU

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

Cairn VSU
Location Langhorne, PA Petersburg, VA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,031 4,648
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #980
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cairn.edu vsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cairn VSU
Tuition (In State) $31,255 $5,540
Tuition (Out of State) $31,255 $16,542
Room & Board $11,764 $11,544
Avg Net Price $25,923 $15,773
Avg Grant Aid $18,376 $11,498
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 92%

Admission

Cairn VSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 468 8,230
Admitted 379 7,384
Acceptance Rate 81% 89.7%
Enrolled % 53.3% 18.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 2.85
Typical High School Grades B+ B-
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 14/17
SAT Range 830/1030
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 May 1, 2024

Academics

Cairn VSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Cairn VSU
Graduation Rate 63% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,000 $36,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $29,500
Median Loan Payment $279 $305

Diversity

Cairn VSU
% Men 47% 40%
% Women 53% 60%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 72% 3%
% Black 14% 87%
% Hispanic 7% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 0%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

Cairn VSU
% In-State 60% 72%
% Out-of-State 36% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia State University is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (4,648 students vs. 1,031 students)

Cairn vs. VSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cairn or VSU?

  • Cairn University is 464.2% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 88.9% higher at Cairn than Virginia State University ($31,255.00 vs. $16,542.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia State University than Cairn ($15,773 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia State University are 1.9% lower than costs at Cairn University ($11,544 vs. $11,764)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Virginia State University (96% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 59.8% larger than aid received Virginia State University ($18,376 vs. $11,498)

Cairn vs. VSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cairn University (976) is 119 points higher than at VSU (857)
  • Incoming Cairn students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at VSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman Cairn students have a 0.46 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at VSU (2.85)
  • VSU has a higher acceptance rate (89.7%) than Cairn (81%)

Cairn vs. VSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cairn or VSU? 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 VSU and Cairn.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Virginia State University (63% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Cairn University earn on average $300 more per year than VSU graduates after ten years. ($37,000 vs. $36,700)
  • Cairn University students graduate with a $2,500 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($27,000 vs. $29,500)
  • Cairn graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($279 vs. $305)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 28%)

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