Messiah College vs. Cairn

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

Messiah College Cairn
Location Grantham, PA Langhorne, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,231 1,031
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #358
Religious Affiliation Interdenominational - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website messiah.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Messiah College Cairn
Tuition (In State) $38,550 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $38,550 $31,255
Room & Board $11,560 $11,764
Avg Net Price $24,120 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $27,519 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 96%

Admission

Messiah College Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,438 468
Admitted 1,936 379
Acceptance Rate 79.4% 81%
Enrolled % 30.3% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.31
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/30
SAT Range 1090/1340
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

Messiah College Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (19%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

Messiah College Cairn
Graduation Rate 74% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,600 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,989 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $279

Diversity

Messiah College Cairn
% Men 37% 47%
% Women 63% 53%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 83% 72%
% Black 3% 14%
% Hispanic 4% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

Messiah College Cairn
% In-State 63% 60%
% Out-of-State 35% 36%

Campus

Messiah College 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

  • Messiah College is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (3,231 students vs. 1,031 students)

Messiah College vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Messiah College or Cairn?

  • Messiah College is 23.3% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($38,550.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 23.3% higher at Messiah College than Cairn University ($38,550.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Messiah College than Cairn ($24,120 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Messiah College are 1.8% lower than costs at Cairn University ($11,560 vs. $11,764)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messiah College than Cairn University (100% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messiah College students is 49.8% larger than aid received Cairn University ($27,519 vs. $18,376)

Messiah College vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Messiah College (1129) is 153 points higher than at Cairn (976)
  • Incoming Messiah College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Accepted freshman Messiah College students have a 0.49 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Cairn (3.31)
  • Cairn has a higher acceptance rate (81%) than Messiah College (79.4%)

Messiah College vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Messiah College 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 Messiah College.

  • The graduation rate at Messiah College is higher than Cairn University (74% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Messiah College earn on average $11,600 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($48,600 vs. $37,000)
  • Messiah College students graduate with a $1,011 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($25,989 vs. $27,000)
  • Messiah College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More Messiah College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cairn students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 69%)

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