Cairn vs. VCU

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

Cairn VCU
Location Langhorne, PA Richmond, VA
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City
Enrollment 1,031 28,082
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #442
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cairn.edu vcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cairn VCU
Tuition (In State) $31,255 $12,458
Tuition (Out of State) $31,255 $33,726
Room & Board $11,764 $12,279
Avg Net Price $25,923 $21,294
Avg Grant Aid $18,376 $12,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 83%

Admission

Cairn VCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 468 18,242
Admitted 379 16,600
Acceptance Rate 81% 91%
Enrolled % 53.3% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Unavailable Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/30
SAT Range 1030/1290
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 18, 2024

Academics

Cairn VCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Cairn VCU
Graduation Rate 63% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,000 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $279 $240

Diversity

Cairn VCU
% Men 47% 36%
% Women 53% 64%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 72% 50%
% Black 14% 18%
% Hispanic 7% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 6%
% International 2% 3%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Cairn VCU
% In-State 60% 92%
% Out-of-State 36% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia Commonwealth University is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (28,082 students vs. 1,031 students)

Cairn vs. VCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cairn or VCU?

  • Cairn University is 150.9% more expensive to attend than VCU for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $12,458.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.9% higher at VCU than Cairn University ($33,726.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Virginia Commonwealth University than Cairn ($21,294 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 4.4% lower than costs at Virginia Commonwealth University ($11,764 vs. $12,279)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Virginia Commonwealth University (96% vs. 83%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 46% larger than aid received Virginia Commonwealth University ($18,376 vs. $12,583)

Cairn vs. VCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Commonwealth University (1097) is 121 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming VCU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Accepted freshman VCU students have a 0.44 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • VCU has a higher acceptance rate (91%) than Cairn (81%)

Cairn vs. VCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Virginia Commonwealth University (63% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University earn on average $10,500 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($47,500 vs. $37,000)
  • Virginia Commonwealth University students graduate with a $3,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($23,250 vs. $27,000)
  • VCU 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 VCU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

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