Cornell vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Cornell University or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cornell 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Haverford College Princeton Georgetown Penn NYU Johns Hopkins Duke Colgate UChicago Amherst Northwestern Yale
Cornell University vs. Swarthmore College comparison
Cornell University Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
Cornell University Swarthmore College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Cornell Swarthmore
Location Ithaca, NY Swarthmore, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 25,898 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #19 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cornell.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cornell Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $62,456 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $62,456 $58,928
Room & Board $16,988 $18,026
Avg Net Price $26,060 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $54,219 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 51% 63%

Admission

Cornell Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 69,195 14,707
Admitted 5,168 1,019
Acceptance Rate 7.5% 6.9%
Enrolled % 67.6% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 32/35
SAT Range 1470/1570 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 2, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

Cornell Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Cornell Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 93% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $98,400 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $124 $201

Diversity

Cornell Swarthmore
% Men 47% 49%
% Women 53% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 41% 42%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 12% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 8%
% International 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 8% 3%

Students

Cornell Swarthmore
% In-State 33% 10%
% Out-of-State 55% 75%

Campus

Cornell 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

  • Cornell University is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (25,898 students vs. 1,625 students)

Cornell vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cornell or Swarthmore?

  • Cornell University is 6% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($62,456.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6% higher at Cornell than Swarthmore College ($62,456.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Cornell ($20,715 vs. $26,060)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cornell University are 6.1% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($16,988 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Cornell University (63% vs. 51%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cornell University students is 13.7% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($54,219 vs. $47,703)

Cornell vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 3 points higher than at Cornell (1428)
  • Incoming Cornell students have at the same average ACT score (32) as students at Swarthmore (32)
  • Accepted freshman Cornell students have at the same average high school GPA (3.9) as students at Swarthmore (3.9)
  • Cornell has a higher acceptance rate (7.5%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Cornell vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cornell 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 Cornell.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Cornell University (95% vs. 93%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $32,600 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $65,800)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $7,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($12,000 vs. $19,500)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $77 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($124 vs. $201)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Swarthmore students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 87%)

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