Cairn vs. WVU

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

Cairn WVU
Location Langhorne, PA Morgantown, WV
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 1,031 24,741
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #559
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cairn.edu wvu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cairn WVU
Tuition (In State) $31,255 $9,360
Tuition (Out of State) $31,255 $26,568
Room & Board $11,764 $11,618
Avg Net Price $25,923 $12,202
Avg Grant Aid $18,376 $11,685
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 94%

Admission

Cairn WVU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 468 18,206
Admitted 379 16,091
Acceptance Rate 81% 88.4%
Enrolled % 53.3% 28.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.45
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26
SAT Range 1000/1220
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 WVU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)

Outcomes

Cairn WVU
Graduation Rate 63% 57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,000 $50,600
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $24,001
Median Loan Payment $279 $248

Diversity

Cairn WVU
% Men 47% 47%
% Women 53% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 72% 81%
% Black 14% 5%
% Hispanic 7% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 2% 6%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

Cairn WVU
% In-State 60% 42%
% Out-of-State 36% 57%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • West Virginia University is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (24,741 students vs. 1,031 students)

Cairn vs. WVU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cairn or WVU?

  • Cairn University is 233.9% more expensive to attend than WVU for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $9,360.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.6% higher at Cairn than West Virginia University ($31,255.00 vs. $26,568.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at West Virginia University than Cairn ($12,202 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at West Virginia University are 1.3% lower than costs at Cairn University ($11,618 vs. $11,764)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than West Virginia University (96% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 57.3% larger than aid received West Virginia University ($18,376 vs. $11,685)

Cairn vs. WVU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at West Virginia University (1078) is 102 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming WVU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Accepted freshman WVU students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • WVU has a higher acceptance rate (88.4%) than Cairn (81%)

Cairn vs. WVU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than West Virginia University (63% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from West Virginia University earn on average $13,600 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($50,600 vs. $37,000)
  • West Virginia University students graduate with a $2,999 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($24,001 vs. $27,000)
  • WVU graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($248 vs. $279)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WVU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 59%)

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