Barnard vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Barnard College or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Barnard or Swarthmore 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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Barnard College vs. Swarthmore College comparison
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Barnard College Swarthmore College
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Overview

Barnard Swarthmore
Location New York, NY Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,442 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #35 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website barnard.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Barnard Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $60,478 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $60,478 $58,928
Room & Board $19,364 $18,026
Avg Net Price $26,009 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $53,817 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 45% 63%

Admission

Barnard Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,009 14,707
Admitted 1,056 1,019
Acceptance Rate 8.8% 6.9%
Enrolled % 66% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.85 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 32/34 32/35
SAT Range 1440/1550 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 4, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

Barnard Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Barnard Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 92% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $66,900 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,847 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $184 $201

Diversity

Barnard Swarthmore
% Men 3% 49%
% Women 97% 51%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 53% 42%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 12% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 8%
% International 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

Barnard Swarthmore
% In-State 28% 10%
% Out-of-State 60% 75%

Campus

Barnard 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

  • Barnard College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (3,442 students vs. 1,625 students)

Barnard vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Barnard or Swarthmore?

  • Barnard College is 2.6% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($60,478.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.6% higher at Barnard than Swarthmore College ($60,478.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Barnard ($20,715 vs. $26,009)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 7.4% lower than costs at Barnard College ($18,026 vs. $19,364)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Barnard College (63% vs. 45%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Barnard College students is 12.8% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($53,817 vs. $47,703)

Barnard vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Barnard or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or Barnard .

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 74 points higher than at Barnard (1357)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Barnard (31)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Barnard (3.85)
  • Barnard has a higher acceptance rate (8.8%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Barnard vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Barnard 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 Barnard.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Barnard College (95% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Barnard College earn on average $1,100 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($66,900 vs. $65,800)
  • Barnard College students graduate with a $1,653 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($17,847 vs. $19,500)
  • Barnard graduates are paying $17 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($184 vs. $201)
  • More Barnard graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Swarthmore students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 87%)

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