
Cairn competes as the Highlanders in NCAA Division III athletics and the United East Conference. This varsity affiliation should not be confused with the separate list of recreational activities or sports that students may play informally.
Varsity opportunities have included sports such as basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, cross-country, and lacrosse. Team offerings can change, so a prospective athlete should check the current roster and recruiting information for their sport. NCAA Division III schools do not award athletics scholarships on the basis of athletic ability, although student-athletes may qualify for other forms of aid. Recreational and club participation has different eligibility and time commitments from varsity competition.
Cairn students have reported opportunities to join interest-based, creative, and community-focused groups. Examples include MuKappa, the ASCEND outdoor club, LEVEL UP Gaming club, Student Visual Arts Society, and Music Club.
These examples show different ways to meet peers outside class, but an organization's activity can change from year to year. Applicants looking for a particular group should check the current student-activities roster rather than assume that a previously listed club is meeting. Student-led groups are also distinct from university services such as counseling or career advising.
Cairn is a comparatively small university: reported enrollment totals 1,097 students. The reported entering group included 229 first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates, while 76 students entered as transfers.
Among the reported first-time entrants, 59% came from Pennsylvania and 41% from other U.S. states. That geographic mix means a student may meet classmates with both local and out-of-state perspectives, though the figures do not establish what any particular class will look like. The reported student-to-faculty ratio is 10 to 1; it summarizes institutional staffing rather than guaranteeing a particular class size or access to a specific professor.
Everyday life at Cairn combines a residential campus, commuter participation, Christian programming, and student activities. Reported figures place 68% of students on campus and 32% commuting, so schedules and evening events may feel different for students in those two groups.
Campus offerings include choral and theater participation, a student-run newspaper, a health clinic, and personal or psychological counseling. First-year students are reported to be permitted to register or park a car on campus, which may matter for travel to work, placements, or home. Students comparing Cairn with a larger university should consider the trade-off between a smaller campus community and the range and frequency of activities they personally want.
Masland Library is Cairn's main campus library. It provides a place for students to study and seek academic research materials, and reported facilities include reservable study rooms.
Students planning research-heavy coursework should ask about access to subject databases, online journals, research help, and materials held by other libraries. The reported library information does not identify a routinely available 24-hour study area, so students who study late should check current building hours and alternative campus spaces.
Total enrollment
1097Full Time Degree Seeking Freshmen
194Member of Athletic Associations
NCAATotal staff
34 full time, 95 part timeVeterans affair office
NoVarsity teams compete against other colleges, intramural teams within the school. Each column says whether men, women or both take part, and whether the sport offers athletic scholarships (Aid).
Sport
Baseball
Basketball
Cross-country running
Football
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball
Table tennis
Tennis
Ultimate Frisbee
Volleyball
Weight lifting
Data last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.