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Haverford College Princeton Georgetown Penn NYU Johns Hopkins Duke Colgate UChicago Amherst Northwestern Yale| Cornell University | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Cornell | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Ithaca, NY | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Small City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 26,264 | 1,644 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #19 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | cornell.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Cornell | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $65,204 | $61,992 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $65,204 | $61,992 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,554 | $18,964 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $26,455 | $17,930 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $56,741 | $62,084 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 51% | 53% |
Admission |
Cornell | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 65,635 | 14,287 | ||
| Admitted | 5,358 | 992 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 8.2% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 66% | 41.8% | ||
| 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 | 33/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1480/1560 | 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 2, 2026 | Jan 4, 2026 |
Academics |
Cornell | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 9:1 | 8:1 | ||
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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 | 19% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 20% | 1% | ||
| 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 | 32% | 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 (26,264 students vs. 1,644 students)
Cornell vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Cornell or Swarthmore?
- Cornell University is 5.2% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($65,204.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- Out of state tuition is 5.2% higher at Cornell than Swarthmore College ($65,204.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Cornell ($17,930 vs. $26,455)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cornell University are 2.2% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($18,554 vs. $18,964)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Cornell University (53% vs. 51%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 9.4% larger than aid received Cornell University ($62,084 vs. $56,741)
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 (8.2%) 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/