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Penn State Erie-Behrend College Penn State Altoona JMU Penn State Penn State York Penn State Abington Rowan University University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Ohio University UB Penn State Berks City College of New York| Penn State Harrisburg | Cairn University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Penn State Harrisburg | Cairn | ||
| Location | Middletown, PA | Langhorne, PA | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 4,572 | 1,031 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #613 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | psu.edu | cairn.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Penn State Harrisburg | Cairn | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $15,388 | $31,255 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $25,854 | $31,255 | ||
| Room & Board | $14,978 | $11,764 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $22,096 | $25,923 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $8,882 | $18,376 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 63% | 96% |
Admission |
Penn State Harrisburg | Cairn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 9,925 | 468 | ||
| Admitted | 9,483 | 379 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 95.5% | 81% | ||
| Enrolled % | 12.6% | 53.3% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.48 | 3.31 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Challenging | Unavailable | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 24/28 | |||
| SAT Range | 1100/1310 | |||
| 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 Harrisburg | Cairn | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 14:1 | 11:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Penn State Harrisburg | Cairn | ||
| Graduation Rate | 63% | 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 Harrisburg | Cairn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 60% | 47% | ||
| % Women | 40% | 53% | ||
| Racial Diversity | High | Low | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 59% | 72% | ||
| % Black | 11% | 14% | ||
| % Hispanic | 6% | 7% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 3% | 2% | ||
| % International | 10% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 0% |
Students |
Penn State Harrisburg | Cairn | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 46% | 60% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 27% | 36% | ||
Campus |
Penn State Harrisburg | Cairn | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | Yes | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Cairn based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 1,031 students)
Penn State Harrisburg vs. Cairn Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Penn State Harrisburg or Cairn?
- Cairn University is 103.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Harrisburg for in-state tuition ($31,255.00 vs. $15,388.00)
- Out of state tuition is 20.9% higher at Cairn than Penn State Harrisburg ($31,255.00 vs. $25,854.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Harrisburg than Cairn ($22,096 vs. $25,923)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cairn University are 27.3% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($11,764 vs. $14,978)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Cairn University than Penn State Harrisburg (96% vs. 63%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Cairn University students is 106.9% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($18,376 vs. $8,882)
Penn State Harrisburg vs. Cairn Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Harrisburg or Cairn? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cairn or Penn State Harrisburg .
- The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 67 points higher than at Cairn (976)
- Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Cairn (21)
- Accepted freshman Penn State Harrisburg students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Cairn (3.31)
- Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Cairn (81%)
Penn State Harrisburg vs. Cairn Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Penn State Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg.
- The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is the same as at Cairn University (63% vs. 63%)
- Graduates from Penn State Harrisburg earn on average $18,300 more per year than Cairn graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,000)
- Penn State Harrisburg students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Cairn graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
- Penn State Harrisburg graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Cairn graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
- More Penn State Harrisburg 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/