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George Washington Haverford College Amherst Williams Vassar Georgetown Bryn Mawr Fordham Johns Hopkins Pomona Cornell Carnegie Mellon| American University | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
AU | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Washington, DC | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 13,885 | 1,625 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #93 | #40 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | United Methodist | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | american.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
AU | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $53,070 | $58,928 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $53,070 | $58,928 | ||
| Room & Board | $15,706 | $18,026 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $41,369 | $20,715 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $27,138 | $47,703 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 66% | 63% |
Admission |
AU | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 19,510 | 14,707 | ||
| Admitted | 7,926 | 1,019 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 40.6% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 22.2% | 42.5% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.7 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very High | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 29/32 | 32/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1290/1430 | 1440/1560 | ||
| 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 | Jan 15, 2025 | Jan 4, 2025 |
Academics |
AU | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 11:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
AU | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 77% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $64,800 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 80% | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $24,250 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $250 | $201 |
Diversity |
AU | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 37% | 49% | ||
| % Women | 63% | 51% | ||
| Racial Diversity | High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 58% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 7% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 12% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 8% | ||
| % International | 7% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 3% |
Students |
AU | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 2% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 94% | 75% | ||
Campus |
AU | Swarthmore | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | Yes | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- American University is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (13,885 students vs. 1,625 students)
AU vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, AU or Swarthmore?
- Swarthmore College is 11% more expensive to attend than AU for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $53,070.00)
- Out of state tuition is 11% higher at Swarthmore than American University ($58,928.00 vs. $53,070.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than AU ($20,715 vs. $41,369)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at American University are 14.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($15,706 vs. $18,026)
- More students receive financial grant aid at American University than Swarthmore College (66% vs. 63%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 75.8% larger than aid received American University ($47,703 vs. $27,138)
AU vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, AU or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or AU .
- The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 179 points higher than at AU (1252)
- Incoming Swarthmore students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at AU (28)
- Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at AU (3.7)
- AU has a higher acceptance rate (40.6%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)
AU vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, AU or Swarthmore? 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 Swarthmore and AU.
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than American University (95% vs. 77%)
- Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $1,000 more per year than AU graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $64,800)
- Swarthmore College students graduate with a $4,750 lower median federal student loan debt than AU graduates. ($19,500 vs. $24,250)
- Swarthmore graduates are paying $49 less per month on federal student loans than AU graduates. ($201 vs. $250)
- More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former AU students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 80%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/