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Haverford College Amherst RIT Williams Vassar St Lawrence University Bryn Mawr Johns Hopkins Pomona Cornell Carnegie Mellon Georgetown| Clarkson University | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Clarkson | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Potsdam, NY | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Remote Town | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 3,603 | 1,644 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #183 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | clarkson.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Clarkson | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $56,642 | $61,992 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $56,642 | $61,992 | ||
| Room & Board | $17,016 | $18,964 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $33,192 | $17,930 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $43,097 | $62,084 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 100% | 53% |
Admission |
Clarkson | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 7,347 | 14,287 | ||
| Admitted | 5,669 | 992 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 77.2% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 10.7% | 41.8% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.8 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very High | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | |||
| ACT Range | 26/31 | 33/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1198/1390 | 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 15, 2026 | Jan 4, 2026 |
Academics |
Clarkson | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 12:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Clarkson | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 72% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $70,800 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 86% | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $27,000 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $279 | $201 |
Diversity |
Clarkson | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 17% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 13% | 1% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very Low | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 84% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 4% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 2% | 8% | ||
| % International | 3% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 3% |
Students |
Clarkson | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 65% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 29% | 75% | ||
Campus |
Clarkson | Swarthmore | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Clarkson University is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (3,603 students vs. 1,644 students)
Clarkson vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Clarkson or Swarthmore?
- Swarthmore College is 9.4% more expensive to attend than Clarkson for in-state tuition ($61,992.00 vs. $56,642.00)
- Out of state tuition is 9.4% higher at Swarthmore than Clarkson University ($61,992.00 vs. $56,642.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Clarkson ($17,930 vs. $33,192)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Clarkson University are 11.4% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($17,016 vs. $18,964)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Clarkson University than Swarthmore College (100% vs. 53%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 44.1% larger than aid received Clarkson University ($62,084 vs. $43,097)
Clarkson vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Clarkson or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or Clarkson .
- The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 233 points higher than at Clarkson (1198)
- Incoming Swarthmore students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Clarkson (27)
- Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Clarkson (3.8)
- Clarkson has a higher acceptance rate (77.2%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)
Clarkson vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Clarkson 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 Clarkson.
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Clarkson University (95% vs. 72%)
- Graduates from Clarkson University earn on average $5,000 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($70,800 vs. $65,800)
- Swarthmore College students graduate with a $7,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Clarkson graduates. ($19,500 vs. $27,000)
- Swarthmore graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than Clarkson graduates. ($201 vs. $279)
- More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Clarkson students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 86%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/