Cairn vs. Wilson College

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

 Cairn Wilson College
Location Langhorne, PA Chambersburg, PA
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 1,031 1,360
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #974
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cairn.edu wilson.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cairn Wilson College
Tuition (In State) $31,255 $25,200
Tuition (Out of State) $31,255 $25,200
Room & Board $11,764 $11,968
Avg Net Price $25,923 $23,923
Avg Grant Aid $18,376 $14,241
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 99%

Admission

 Cairn Wilson College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 468 739
Admitted 379 695
Acceptance Rate 81% 94%
Enrolled % 53.3% 19.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.45
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range 970/1120
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 Wilson College
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)
  • Health Professions (29%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Agriculture (11%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

 Cairn Wilson College
Graduation Rate 63% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,000 $34,700
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,750
Median Loan Payment $279 $266

Diversity

 Cairn Wilson College
% Men 47% 23%
% Women 53% 77%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 72% 66%
% Black 14% 6%
% Hispanic 7% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 2% 6%
% Unknown Race 0% 15%

Students

 Cairn Wilson College
% In-State 60% 64%
% Out-of-State 36% 34%

Campus

 Cairn Wilson College
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

  • Wilson College is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (1,360 students vs. 1,031 students)

Cairn vs. Wilson College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cairn or Wilson College?

  • Cairn University is 24% more expensive to attend than Wilson College for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $25,200.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 24% higher at Cairn than Wilson College ($31,255.00 vs. $25,200.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wilson College than Cairn ($23,923 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 1.7% lower than costs at Wilson College ($11,764 vs. $11,968)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wilson College than Cairn University (99% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 29% larger than aid received Wilson College ($18,376 vs. $14,241)

Cairn vs. Wilson College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cairn University (976) is 35 points higher than at Wilson College (941)
  • Incoming Cairn students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at Wilson College (20)
  • Accepted freshman Wilson College students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.45) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • Wilson College has a higher acceptance rate (94%) than Cairn (81%)

Cairn vs. Wilson College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cairn or Wilson 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 Wilson College and Cairn.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Wilson College (63% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Cairn University earn on average $2,300 more per year than Wilson College graduates after ten years. ($37,000 vs. $34,700)
  • Wilson College students graduate with a $1,250 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($25,750 vs. $27,000)
  • Wilson College graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($266 vs. $279)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wilson College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 66%)

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