Cairn vs. Columbia College

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

 Cairn Columbia College
Location Langhorne, PA Columbia, SC
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 1,031 1,514
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #913
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cairn.edu columbiasc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cairn Columbia College
Tuition (In State) $31,255 $21,250
Tuition (Out of State) $31,255 $21,250
Room & Board $11,764 $8,400
Avg Net Price $25,923 $18,779
Avg Grant Aid $18,376 $16,089
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 97%

Admission

 Cairn Columbia College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 468 2,176
Admitted 379 2,135
Acceptance Rate 81% 98.1%
Enrolled % 53.3% 8.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 14/18
SAT Range 850/1140
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

Academics

 Cairn Columbia College
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Human Services (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)

Outcomes

 Cairn Columbia College
Graduation Rate 63% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,000 $34,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 43%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,264
Median Loan Payment $279 $261

Diversity

 Cairn Columbia College
% Men 47% 15%
% Women 53% 85%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 72% 55%
% Black 14% 34%
% Hispanic 7% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Cairn Columbia College
% In-State 60% 76%
% Out-of-State 36% 22%

Campus

 Cairn Columbia College
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

  • Columbia College is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (1,514 students vs. 1,031 students)

Cairn vs. Columbia College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cairn or Columbia College?

  • Cairn University is 47.1% more expensive to attend than Columbia College for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $21,250.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 47.1% higher at Cairn than Columbia College ($31,255.00 vs. $21,250.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia College than Cairn ($18,779 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia College are 40% lower than costs at Cairn University ($8,400 vs. $11,764)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Columbia College than Cairn University (97% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 14.2% larger than aid received Columbia College ($18,376 vs. $16,089)

Cairn vs. Columbia College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cairn University (976) is 5 points higher than at Columbia College (971)
  • Incoming Cairn students have at the same average ACT score (21) as students at Columbia College (21)
  • Accepted freshman Columbia College students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • Columbia College has a higher acceptance rate (98.1%) than Cairn (81%)

Cairn vs. Columbia College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cairn or Columbia College? 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 Columbia College and Cairn.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Columbia College (63% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Cairn University earn on average $2,300 more per year than Columbia College graduates after ten years. ($37,000 vs. $34,700)
  • Columbia College students graduate with a $1,736 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($25,264 vs. $27,000)
  • Columbia College graduates are paying $18 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($261 vs. $279)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 43%)

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