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Haverford College Cal Poly Stanford Amherst Williams Vassar MIT HMC Bryn Mawr Yale Johns Hopkins Pomona| California Institute of Technology | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Caltech | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Pasadena, CA | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 2,401 | 1,625 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #5 | #40 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | caltech.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Caltech | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $58,479 | $58,928 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $58,479 | $58,928 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,606 | $18,026 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $20,755 | $20,715 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $59,192 | $47,703 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 57% | 63% |
Admission |
Caltech | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 16,626 | 14,707 | ||
| Admitted | 448 | 1,019 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 2.7% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 50% | 42.5% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.97 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 35/36 | 32/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1530/1580 | 1440/1560 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 3, 2025 | Jan 4, 2025 |
Academics |
Caltech | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 3:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Caltech | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 87% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $85,800 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $14,350 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $148 | $201 |
Diversity |
Caltech | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 61% | 49% | ||
| % Women | 39% | 51% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 27% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 12% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 8% | ||
| % International | 8% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 0% | 3% |
Students |
Caltech | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 29% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 58% | 75% | ||
Campus |
Caltech | 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
- California Institute of Technology is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (2,401 students vs. 1,625 students)
Caltech vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Caltech or Swarthmore?
- Swarthmore College is 0.8% more expensive to attend than Caltech for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $58,479.00)
- Out of state tuition is 0.8% higher at Swarthmore than California Institute of Technology ($58,928.00 vs. $58,479.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Caltech ($20,715 vs. $20,755)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 3.2% lower than costs at California Institute of Technology ($18,026 vs. $18,606)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than California Institute of Technology (63% vs. 57%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 24.1% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($59,192 vs. $47,703)
Caltech vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Caltech or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or Caltech .
- The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 113 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
- Incoming Caltech students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at Swarthmore (32)
- Accepted freshman Caltech students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at Swarthmore (3.9)
- Swarthmore has a higher acceptance rate (6.9%) than Caltech (2.7%)
Caltech vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Caltech 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 Caltech.
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than California Institute of Technology (95% vs. 87%)
- Graduates from California Institute of Technology earn on average $20,000 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($85,800 vs. $65,800)
- California Institute of Technology students graduate with a $5,150 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($14,350 vs. $19,500)
- Caltech graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($148 vs. $201)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/