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Haverford College Amherst Williams Vassar Bryn Mawr Johns Hopkins Pomona Cornell Carnegie Mellon Georgetown Penn Middlebury| Bard College | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Bard College | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Annandale-On-Hudson, NY | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Town Fringe | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 2,922 | 1,644 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #180 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | bard.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Bard College | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $62,790 | $61,992 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $62,790 | $61,992 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,040 | $18,964 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $25,218 | $17,930 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $56,380 | $62,084 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 77% | 53% |
Admission |
Bard College | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 6,628 | 14,287 | ||
| Admitted | 3,466 | 992 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 52.3% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 11.6% | 41.8% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | - | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | - | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very High | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 30/32 | 33/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1290/1440 | 1460/1560 | ||
| 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 1, 2026 | Jan 4, 2026 |
Academics |
Bard College | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 9:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Bard College | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 76% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $41,600 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 81% | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $26,194 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $270 | $201 |
Diversity |
Bard College | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 6% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 10% | 1% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Medium | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 63% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 8% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 1% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 0% | 8% | ||
| % International | 10% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 11% | 3% |
Students |
Bard College | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 31% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 59% | 75% | ||
Campus |
Bard College | Swarthmore | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Bard College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (2,922 students vs. 1,644 students)
Bard College vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Bard College or Swarthmore?
- Bard College is 1.3% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($62,790.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- Out of state tuition is 1.3% higher at Bard College than Swarthmore College ($62,790.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Bard College ($17,930 vs. $25,218)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bard College are 5.1% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($18,040 vs. $18,964)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Bard College than Swarthmore College (77% vs. 53%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 10.1% larger than aid received Bard College ($62,084 vs. $56,380)
Bard College vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Bard College or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or Bard College .
- Bard College has a higher acceptance rate (52.3%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)
Bard College vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Bard College 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 Bard College.
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Bard College (95% vs. 76%)
- Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $24,200 more per year than Bard College graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $41,600)
- Swarthmore College students graduate with a $6,694 lower median federal student loan debt than Bard College graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,194)
- Swarthmore graduates are paying $69 less per month on federal student loans than Bard College graduates. ($201 vs. $270)
- More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bard College students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 81%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/