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Northeastern BC Haverford College NYU Babson Amherst Tufts UMass Brandeis University Williams Lehigh Colgate| Boston University | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
BU | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Boston, MA | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 36,624 | 1,644 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #77 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | bu.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
BU | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $63,798 | $61,992 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $63,798 | $61,992 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,110 | $18,964 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $27,551 | $17,930 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $55,080 | $62,084 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 50% | 53% |
Admission |
BU | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 80,495 | 14,287 | ||
| Admitted | 8,733 | 992 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 10.8% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 36% | 41.8% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.79 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Exceptional | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 32/34 | 33/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1400/1520 | 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 |
BU | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 10:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
BU | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 85% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $72,000 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 82% | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $27,000 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $279 | $201 |
Diversity |
BU | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 21% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 28% | 1% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 43% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 4% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 11% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 8% | ||
| % International | 20% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 5% | 3% |
Students |
BU | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 14% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 61% | 75% | ||
Campus |
BU | Swarthmore | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | Yes | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Boston University is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (36,624 students vs. 1,644 students)
BU vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, BU or Swarthmore?
- Boston University is 2.9% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($63,798.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- Out of state tuition is 2.9% higher at BU than Swarthmore College ($63,798.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than BU ($17,930 vs. $27,551)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Boston University are 4.7% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($18,110 vs. $18,964)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Boston University (53% vs. 50%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 12.7% larger than aid received Boston University ($62,084 vs. $55,080)
BU vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, BU or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or BU .
- The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 128 points higher than at BU (1303)
- Incoming Swarthmore students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at BU (29)
- Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at BU (3.79)
- BU has a higher acceptance rate (10.8%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)
BU vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, BU 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 BU.
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Boston University (95% vs. 85%)
- Graduates from Boston University earn on average $6,200 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($72,000 vs. $65,800)
- Swarthmore College students graduate with a $7,500 lower median federal student loan debt than BU graduates. ($19,500 vs. $27,000)
- Swarthmore graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than BU graduates. ($201 vs. $279)
- More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BU students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 82%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/