Bryn Mawr vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Bryn Mawr College or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Bryn Mawr 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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Bryn Mawr College vs. Swarthmore College comparison
Bryn Mawr College Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
Bryn Mawr College Swarthmore College
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Overview

Bryn Mawr Swarthmore
Location Bryn Mawr, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,742 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #81 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website brynmawr.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Bryn Mawr Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $58,000 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $58,000 $58,928
Room & Board $18,050 $18,026
Avg Net Price $39,072 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $36,618 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 73% 63%

Admission

Bryn Mawr Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,594 14,707
Admitted 1,105 1,019
Acceptance Rate 30.7% 6.9%
Enrolled % 35.8% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.85 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition High Extreme
ACT Range 29/33 32/35
SAT Range 1280/1495 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 15, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

Bryn Mawr Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (26%)
  • Foreign Languages (16%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Bryn Mawr Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 87% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,500 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $268 $201

Diversity

Bryn Mawr Swarthmore
% Men 4% 49%
% Women 96% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 36% 42%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 9% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 8%
% International 23% 11%
% Unknown Race 8% 3%

Students

Bryn Mawr Swarthmore
% In-State 9% 10%
% Out-of-State 73% 75%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Bryn Mawr College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (1,742 students vs. 1,625 students)

Bryn Mawr vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bryn Mawr or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 1.6% more expensive to attend than Bryn Mawr for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $58,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.6% higher at Swarthmore than Bryn Mawr College ($58,928.00 vs. $58,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Bryn Mawr ($20,715 vs. $39,072)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 0.1% lower than costs at Bryn Mawr College ($18,026 vs. $18,050)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bryn Mawr College than Swarthmore College (73% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 30.3% larger than aid received Bryn Mawr College ($47,703 vs. $36,618)

Bryn Mawr vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 85 points higher than at Bryn Mawr (1346)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Bryn Mawr (30)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Bryn Mawr (3.85)
  • Bryn Mawr has a higher acceptance rate (30.7%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Bryn Mawr vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bryn Mawr 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 Bryn Mawr.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Bryn Mawr College (95% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $4,300 more per year than Bryn Mawr graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $61,500)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $6,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Bryn Mawr graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,000)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $67 less per month on federal student loans than Bryn Mawr graduates. ($201 vs. $268)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bryn Mawr students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 79%)

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