Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. Cairn

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

 Penn State Greater Allegheny Cairn
Location McKeesport, PA Langhorne, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 363 1,031
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu cairn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Greater Allegheny Cairn
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $31,255
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $31,255
Room & Board $12,254 $11,764
Avg Net Price $19,505 $25,923
Avg Grant Aid $10,269 $18,376
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 96%

Admission

 Penn State Greater Allegheny Cairn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 672 468
Admitted 589 379
Acceptance Rate 87.6% 81%
Enrolled % 19.5% 53.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.31
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range 1040/1300
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

 Penn State Greater Allegheny Cairn
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (71%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Human Services (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (2%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Greater Allegheny Cairn
Graduation Rate 47% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $37,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Greater Allegheny Cairn
% Men 61% 47%
% Women 39% 53%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 61% 72%
% Black 19% 14%
% Hispanic 7% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Greater Allegheny Cairn
% In-State 68% 60%
% Out-of-State 30% 36%

Campus

 Penn State Greater Allegheny 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 Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (1,031 students vs. 363 students)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. Cairn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Greater Allegheny or Cairn?

  • Cairn University is 126.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Greater Allegheny for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.4% higher at Cairn than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($31,255.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Cairn ($19,505 vs. $25,923)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 4.2% lower than costs at Penn State Greater Allegheny ($11,764 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Penn State Greater Allegheny (96% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 78.9% larger than aid received Penn State Greater Allegheny ($18,376 vs. $10,269)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cairn University (976) is 33 points higher than at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943)
  • Incoming Penn State Greater Allegheny students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Cairn (21)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny has a higher acceptance rate (87.6%) than Cairn (81%)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Greater Allegheny 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 Penn State Greater Allegheny.

  • The graduation rate at Cairn is higher than Penn State Greater Allegheny (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny earn on average $18,300 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,000)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cairn students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 69%)

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