Paul Smith's College vs. Cairn

Should I go to Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science or Cairn University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Paul Smith's 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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Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science vs. Cairn University comparison
Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science Cairn University College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Paul Smith's College Cairn
Location Paul Smiths, NY Langhorne, PA
Setting Distant Rural Large Suburban
Enrollment 686 1,031
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website paulsmiths.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Paul Smith's College Cairn
Tuition (In State) $32,012 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $32,012 $31,255
Room & Board $15,546 $11,764
Avg Net Price $25,056 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $24,545 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 96%

Admission

 Paul Smith's College Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 955 468
Admitted 811 379
Acceptance Rate 84.9% 81%
Enrolled % 24% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA 2.8 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) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Paul Smith's College Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Natural Resources Conservation (34%)
  • Personal and Culinary Services (22%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 Paul Smith's College Cairn
Graduation Rate 37% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,700 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $279

Diversity

 Paul Smith's College Cairn
% Men 64% 47%
% Women 36% 53%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 82% 72%
% Black 3% 14%
% Hispanic 4% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 8% 0%

Students

 Paul Smith's College Cairn
% In-State 53% 60%
% Out-of-State 45% 36%

Campus

 Paul Smith's College Cairn
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Cairn University is larger than than Paul Smith's College based on total student enrollment (1,031 students vs. 686 students)

Paul Smith's College vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Paul Smith's College or Cairn?

  • Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science is 2.4% more expensive to attend than Cairn for in-state tuition ($32,012.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.4% higher at Paul Smith's College than Cairn University ($32,012.00 vs. $31,255.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science than Cairn ($25,056 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 32.1% lower than costs at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science ($11,764 vs. $15,546)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science than Cairn University (100% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science students is 33.6% larger than aid received Cairn University ($24,545 vs. $18,376)

Paul Smith's College vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Cairn students have a 0.51 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at Paul Smith's College (2.8)
  • Paul Smith's College has a higher acceptance rate (84.9%) than Cairn (81%)

Paul Smith's College vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Paul Smith's 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 Paul Smith's College.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science (63% vs. 37%)
  • Graduates from Cairn University earn on average $300 more per year than Paul Smith's College graduates after ten years. ($37,000 vs. $36,700)
  • Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($25,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Paul Smith's College graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($258 vs. $279)
  • More Paul Smith's College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cairn students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 69%)

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