PennWest Clarion vs. Cairn

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

 PennWest Clarion Cairn
Location Clarion, PA Langhorne, PA
Setting Remote Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,922 1,031
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website clarion.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PennWest Clarion Cairn
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $11,574 $31,255
Room & Board $12,930 $11,764
Avg Net Price - $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $0 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 96%

Admission

 PennWest Clarion Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 468
Admitted - 379
Acceptance Rate 81%
Enrolled % 53.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 PennWest Clarion Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Health Professions (18%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 PennWest Clarion Cairn
Graduation Rate 49% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,200 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $279

Diversity

 PennWest Clarion Cairn
% Men 28% 47%
% Women 72% 53%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 72%
% Black 8% 14%
% Hispanic 3% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 PennWest Clarion Cairn
% In-State 94% 60%
% Out-of-State 5% 36%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • PennWest Clarion is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (3,922 students vs. 1,031 students)

PennWest Clarion vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PennWest Clarion or Cairn?

  • Cairn University is 305.1% more expensive to attend than PennWest Clarion for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 170% higher at Cairn than PennWest Clarion ($31,255.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 9.9% lower than costs at PennWest Clarion ($11,764 vs. $12,930)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than PennWest Clarion (96% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is ?% larger than aid received PennWest Clarion ($18,376 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at Cairn University (976) is 42 points higher than at PennWest Clarion (934)
  • Incoming Cairn students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at PennWest Clarion (20)
  • Accepted freshman PennWest Clarion students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Cairn (3.31)

PennWest Clarion vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PennWest Clarion or Cairn? 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 Cairn and PennWest Clarion.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than PennWest Clarion (63% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from PennWest Clarion earn on average $2,200 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($39,200 vs. $37,000)
  • PennWest Clarion students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • PennWest Clarion graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Cairn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PennWest Clarion students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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