Carnegie Mellon vs. Swarthmore

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

Carnegie Mellon Swarthmore
Location Pittsburgh, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 16,002 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #41 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cmu.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Carnegie Mellon Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $59,864 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $59,864 $58,928
Room & Board $16,486 $18,026
Avg Net Price $33,499 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $43,966 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 47% 63%

Admission

Carnegie Mellon Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 34,261 14,707
Admitted 3,873 1,019
Acceptance Rate 11.3% 6.9%
Enrolled % 44.3% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 32/35
SAT Range 1490/1570 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

Carnegie Mellon Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 5:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (26%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Carnegie Mellon Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 87% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $102,700 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,250 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $271 $201

Diversity

Carnegie Mellon Swarthmore
% Men 56% 49%
% Women 44% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 32% 42%
% Black 5% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 8%
% International 18% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

Carnegie Mellon Swarthmore
% In-State 11% 10%
% Out-of-State 69% 75%

Campus

Carnegie Mellon 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

  • Carnegie Mellon University is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (16,002 students vs. 1,625 students)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Carnegie Mellon or Swarthmore?

  • Carnegie Mellon University is 1.6% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($59,864.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.6% higher at Carnegie Mellon than Swarthmore College ($59,864.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Carnegie Mellon ($20,715 vs. $33,499)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Carnegie Mellon University are 9.3% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($16,486 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Carnegie Mellon University (63% vs. 47%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 8.5% larger than aid received Carnegie Mellon University ($47,703 vs. $43,966)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Carnegie Mellon University (1448) is 17 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
  • Incoming Carnegie Mellon students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Swarthmore (32)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Carnegie Mellon (3.89)
  • Carnegie Mellon has a higher acceptance rate (11.3%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Carnegie Mellon 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 Carnegie Mellon.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Carnegie Mellon University (95% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Carnegie Mellon University earn on average $36,900 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($102,700 vs. $65,800)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $6,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,250)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $70 less per month on federal student loans than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($201 vs. $271)
  • More Carnegie Mellon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Swarthmore students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 87%)

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