BC vs. Swarthmore

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

BC Swarthmore
Location Chestnut Hill, MA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 15,287 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #45 #40
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bc.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

BC Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $62,950 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $62,950 $58,928
Room & Board $16,120 $18,026
Avg Net Price $30,559 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $49,992 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 40% 63%

Admission

BC Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 40,494 14,707
Admitted 6,748 1,019
Acceptance Rate 16.7% 6.9%
Enrolled % 34.6% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 32/35
SAT Range 1435/1540 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 1, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

BC Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

BC Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 91% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $90,900 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 90% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $196 $201

Diversity

BC Swarthmore
% Men 45% 49%
% Women 55% 51%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 62% 42%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 10% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 6% 3%

Students

BC Swarthmore
% In-State 21% 10%
% Out-of-State 71% 75%

Campus

BC Swarthmore
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Boston College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (15,287 students vs. 1,625 students)

BC vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BC or Swarthmore?

  • Boston College is 6.8% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($62,950.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.8% higher at BC than Swarthmore College ($62,950.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than BC ($20,715 vs. $30,559)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Boston College are 11.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($16,120 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Boston College (63% vs. 40%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Boston College students is 4.8% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($49,992 vs. $47,703)

BC vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 51 points higher than at BC (1380)
  • Incoming BC students have at the same average ACT score (32) as students at Swarthmore (32)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at BC (3.86)
  • BC has a higher acceptance rate (16.7%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

BC vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BC 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 BC.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Boston College (95% vs. 91%)
  • Graduates from Boston College earn on average $25,100 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($90,900 vs. $65,800)
  • Boston College students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($19,000 vs. $19,500)
  • BC graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($196 vs. $201)
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Swarthmore students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 87%)

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