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Haverford College Harvard Yale Barnard Princeton Amherst Cornell Williams UChicago NYU Vassar Stanford| Columbia University in the City of New York | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Columbia | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | New York, NY | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 34,782 | 1,625 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #22 | #40 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | columbia.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Columbia | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $62,570 | $58,928 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $62,570 | $58,928 | ||
| Room & Board | $16,286 | $18,026 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $22,058 | $20,715 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $61,061 | $47,703 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 52% | 63% |
Admission |
Columbia | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 60,879 | 14,707 | ||
| Admitted | 2,404 | 1,019 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 3.9% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 64.1% | 42.5% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.91 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 34/35 | 32/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1490/1580 | 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 |
Columbia | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 6:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Columbia | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 93% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $107,600 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 76% | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $21,500 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $222 | $201 |
Diversity |
Columbia | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 46% | 49% | ||
| % Women | 54% | 51% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 38% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 8% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 13% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 8% | ||
| % International | 15% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 3% | 3% |
Students |
Columbia | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 19% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 64% | 75% | ||
Campus |
Columbia | 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
- Columbia University in the City of New York is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (34,782 students vs. 1,625 students)
Columbia vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Columbia or Swarthmore?
- Columbia University in the City of New York is 6.2% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($62,570.00 vs. $58,928.00)
- Out of state tuition is 6.2% higher at Columbia than Swarthmore College ($62,570.00 vs. $58,928.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Columbia ($20,715 vs. $22,058)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia University in the City of New York are 10.7% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($16,286 vs. $18,026)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Columbia University in the City of New York (63% vs. 52%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia University in the City of New York students is 28% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($61,061 vs. $47,703)
Columbia vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Columbia or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or Columbia .
- The average SAT score at Columbia University in the City of New York (1473) is 42 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
- Incoming Columbia students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Swarthmore (32)
- Accepted freshman Columbia students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at Swarthmore (3.9)
- Swarthmore has a higher acceptance rate (6.9%) than Columbia (3.9%)
Columbia vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Columbia 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 Columbia.
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Columbia University in the City of New York (95% vs. 93%)
- Graduates from Columbia University in the City of New York earn on average $41,800 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($107,600 vs. $65,800)
- Swarthmore College students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia graduates. ($19,500 vs. $21,500)
- Swarthmore graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia graduates. ($201 vs. $222)
- More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 76%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/