City College of New York vs. Swarthmore

Deciding between CUNY City College and Swarthmore College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

CUNY City College
Swarthmore College

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • City College of New York New York, NY
  • Swarthmore Swarthmore, PA
  • Setting
  • City College of New York Large City
  • Swarthmore Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • City College of New York 15,544
  • Swarthmore 1,623
  • Type
  • City College of New York Public 4 Year
  • Swarthmore Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • City College of New York #313
  • Swarthmore #40
  • Religious Affiliation
  • City College of New York -
  • Swarthmore -
  • Status
  • City College of New York Non-profit
  • Swarthmore Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • City College of New York
  • Swarthmore

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • City College of New York $7,340
  • Swarthmore $65,494
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • City College of New York $15,290
  • Swarthmore $65,494
  • Room & Board
  • City College of New York $18,840
  • Swarthmore $20,308
  • Average Net Price
  • City College of New York $4,664
  • Swarthmore $22,469
  • Average Grant Aid
  • City College of New York $9,763
  • Swarthmore $61,634
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • City College of New York 88%
  • Swarthmore 57%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • City College of New York 34,322
  • Swarthmore 13,065
  • Admitted
  • City College of New York 20,600
  • Swarthmore 975
  • Acceptance Rate
  • City College of New York 60%
  • Swarthmore 7.5%
  • Enrolled
  • City College of New York 12.3%
  • Swarthmore 43.8%
  • Typical SAT score
  • City College of New York 1250
  • Swarthmore 1530
  • Typical ACT score
  • City College of New York
  • Swarthmore 34
  • Average High School GPA
  • City College of New York 3.2
  • Swarthmore 3.9
  • Typical High School Grades
  • City College of New York B+
  • Swarthmore A
  • Admissions Standards
  • City College of New York Very High
  • Swarthmore Elite
  • Applicant Competition
  • City College of New York Low
  • Swarthmore Extreme
  • ACT Range
  • City College of New York
  • Swarthmore 33/35
  • SAT Range
  • City College of New York 1070/1430
  • Swarthmore 1490/1560
  • Submit Test Scores
  • City College of New York Test optional
  • Swarthmore Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • City College of New York Feb 1, 2027
  • Swarthmore Jan 4, 2027

  • Academics

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

  • Outcomes

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

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • City College of New York 47%
  • Swarthmore 48%
  • % Women
  • City College of New York 53%
  • Swarthmore 52%
  • Racial Diversity
  • City College of New York Very High
  • Swarthmore Very High
  • HBCU
  • City College of New York No
  • Swarthmore No
  • % White
  • City College of New York 15%
  • Swarthmore 42%
  • % Asian
  • City College of New York 25%
  • Swarthmore 17%
  • % Black
  • City College of New York 16%
  • Swarthmore 6%
  • % Hispanic
  • City College of New York 35%
  • Swarthmore 13%
  • % Native American
  • City College of New York 0%
  • Swarthmore 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • City College of New York 0%
  • Swarthmore 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • City College of New York 2%
  • Swarthmore 8%
  • % International
  • City College of New York 6%
  • Swarthmore 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • City College of New York 0%
  • Swarthmore 3%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • City College of New York 83%
  • Swarthmore 10%
  • % Out-of-State
  • City College of New York 0%
  • Swarthmore 77%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare CUNY City College in New York, NY with Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

CUNY City College is larger than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (15,544 students vs. 1,623 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • CUNY City College is located in New York, NY (Large City setting); Swarthmore College is in Swarthmore, PA (Large Suburban setting).
  • CUNY City College is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Swarthmore College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: CUNY City College 15:1; Swarthmore College 7:1.

City College of New York vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, City College of New York or Swarthmore? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Swarthmore ($4,664 vs. $22,469).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at CUNY City College are 7.2% lower than at Swarthmore College ($18,840 vs. $20,308).
  • Swarthmore College is 792.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than City College of New York (about $58,154 more per year; $65,494.00 vs. $7,340.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 328.3% higher at Swarthmore than at CUNY City College (about $50,204 more per year; $65,494.00 vs. $15,290.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at CUNY City College than at Swarthmore College (88% vs. 57%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 531.3% larger than aid received by CUNY City College students ($61,634 vs. $9,763).

City College of New York vs. Swarthmore Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, City College of New York or Swarthmore? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Swarthmore and City College of New York.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Swarthmore College (1530) is 280 points higher than at City College of New York (1250).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: CUNY City College 1070/1430; Swarthmore College 1490/1560.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsSwarthmore College 33/35.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: City College of New York - Test optional; Swarthmore - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: City College of New York Feb 1, 2027; Swarthmore Jan 4, 2027.
  • 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 (60%) than Swarthmore (7.5%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 12.3% at City College of New York vs. 43.8% at Swarthmore.

City College of New York vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for City College of New York and Swarthmore? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Swarthmore College's six-year graduation rate (95%) is higher than CUNY City College's (40%).
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn a median of about $16,000 more per year than City College of New York graduates about ten years after starting college ($65,800 vs. $49,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, CUNY City College graduates have a $8,100 lower median loan debt than Swarthmore graduates ($11,400 vs. $19,500).
  • Among borrowers, City College of New York graduates have an estimated $84 lower median monthly federal student loan payment 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.