City College of New York vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to CUNY City College or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if City College of New York 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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CUNY City College vs. Swarthmore College comparison
CUNY City College Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
CUNY City College Swarthmore College
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Overview

City College of New York Swarthmore
Location New York, NY Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 15,012 1,644
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #276 #41
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cuny.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

City College of New York Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $6,930 $61,992
Tuition (Out of State) $14,880 $61,992
Room & Board $18,104 $18,964
Avg Net Price $4,599 $17,930
Avg Grant Aid $9,236 $62,084
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 53%

Admission

City College of New York Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 31,988 14,287
Admitted 18,576 992
Acceptance Rate 58.1% 6.9%
Enrolled % 14.4% 41.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 3.9
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 33/34
SAT Range 1220/1460 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 Feb 1, 2026 Jan 4, 2026

Academics

City College of New York Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

City College of New York Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 40% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,800 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 52% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $11,400 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $117 $201

Diversity

City College of New York Swarthmore
% Men 7% 0%
% Women 11% 1%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 42%
% Black 16% 6%
% Hispanic 35% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 8%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

City College of New York Swarthmore
% In-State 87% 10%
% Out-of-State 0% 75%

Campus

City College of New York Swarthmore
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY City College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (15,012 students vs. 1,644 students)

City College of New York vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, City College of New York or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 794.5% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($61,992.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 316.6% higher at Swarthmore than CUNY City College ($61,992.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Swarthmore ($4,599 vs. $17,930)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at CUNY City College are 4.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($18,104 vs. $18,964)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than Swarthmore College (86% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 572.2% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($62,084 vs. $9,236)

City College of New York vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 306 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.7 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

City College of New York vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, City College of New York 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 City College of New York.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than CUNY City College (95% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $16,000 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $8,100 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($11,400 vs. $19,500)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $84 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($117 vs. $201)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 52%)

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