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Haverford College NYU Columbia Wellesley Amherst Vassar Williams Cornell Bryn Mawr Johns Hopkins Pomona Carnegie Mellon| Barnard College | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Barnard | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | New York, NY | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 3,353 | 1,644 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #34 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | barnard.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Barnard | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $64,078 | $61,992 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $64,078 | $61,992 | ||
| Room & Board | $20,582 | $18,964 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $27,738 | $17,930 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $56,190 | $62,084 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 48% | 53% |
Admission |
Barnard | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 11,803 | 14,287 | ||
| Admitted | 940 | 992 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 8% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 75.6% | 41.8% | ||
| 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 | 33/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1453/1550 | 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 4, 2026 | Jan 4, 2026 |
Academics |
Barnard | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 10:1 | 8:1 | ||
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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 | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 3% | 1% | ||
| 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 (3,353 students vs. 1,644 students)
Barnard vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Barnard or Swarthmore?
- Barnard College is 3.4% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($64,078.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- Out of state tuition is 3.4% higher at Barnard than Swarthmore College ($64,078.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Barnard ($17,930 vs. $27,738)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 8.5% lower than costs at Barnard College ($18,964 vs. $20,582)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Barnard College (53% vs. 48%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 10.5% larger than aid received Barnard College ($62,084 vs. $56,190)
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%) 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/