Dartmouth vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Dartmouth College or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Dartmouth 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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Dartmouth College vs. Swarthmore College comparison
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Dartmouth College Swarthmore College
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Overview

Dartmouth Swarthmore
Location Hanover, NH Swarthmore, PA
Setting Remote Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 6,744 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #12 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website dartmouth.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Dartmouth Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $60,687 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $60,687 $58,928
Room & Board $18,099 $18,026
Avg Net Price $19,208 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $62,293 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 45% 63%

Admission

Dartmouth Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 28,336 14,707
Admitted 1,808 1,019
Acceptance Rate 6.4% 6.9%
Enrolled % 62.2% 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 1500/1580 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 3, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

Dartmouth Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Ethnic Studies (7%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Dartmouth Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 95% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $104,000 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $13,461 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $139 $201

Diversity

Dartmouth Swarthmore
% Men 50% 49%
% Women 50% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 49% 42%
% Black 7% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 13%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 8%
% International 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

Dartmouth Swarthmore
% In-State 2% 10%
% Out-of-State 79% 75%

Campus

Dartmouth 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

  • Dartmouth College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (6,744 students vs. 1,625 students)

Dartmouth vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Dartmouth or Swarthmore?

  • Dartmouth College is 3% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($60,687.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3% higher at Dartmouth than Swarthmore College ($60,687.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Dartmouth College than Swarthmore ($19,208 vs. $20,715)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 0.4% lower than costs at Dartmouth College ($18,026 vs. $18,099)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Dartmouth College (63% vs. 45%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dartmouth College students is 30.6% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($62,293 vs. $47,703)

Dartmouth vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Dartmouth College (1437) is 6 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
  • Incoming Dartmouth students have at the same average ACT score (32) as students at Swarthmore (32)
  • Accepted freshman Dartmouth students have at the same average high school GPA (3.9) as students at Swarthmore (3.9)
  • Swarthmore has a higher acceptance rate (6.9%) than Dartmouth (6.4%)

Dartmouth vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Dartmouth 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 Dartmouth.

  • The graduation rate at Dartmouth is the same as at Swarthmore College (95% vs. 95%)
  • Graduates from Dartmouth College earn on average $38,200 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($104,000 vs. $65,800)
  • Dartmouth College students graduate with a $6,039 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($13,461 vs. $19,500)
  • Dartmouth graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($139 vs. $201)
  • More Dartmouth 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/