F&M vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Franklin and Marshall College or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if F&M 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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Franklin and Marshall College vs. Swarthmore College comparison
Franklin and Marshall College Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
Franklin and Marshall College Swarthmore College
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Overview

F&M Swarthmore
Location Lancaster, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,990 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #56 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fandm.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

F&M Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $65,652 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $65,652 $58,928
Room & Board $15,040 $18,026
Avg Net Price $31,135 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $49,177 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 63%

Admission

F&M Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,923 14,707
Admitted 3,233 1,019
Acceptance Rate 36.2% 6.9%
Enrolled % 15.1% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA - 3.9
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition High Extreme
ACT Range 30/33 32/35
SAT Range 1310/1440 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 15, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

F&M Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

F&M Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 85% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,900 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 88% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $227 $201

Diversity

F&M Swarthmore
% Men 47% 49%
% Women 53% 51%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 59% 42%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 8%
% International 14% 11%
% Unknown Race 6% 3%

Students

F&M Swarthmore
% In-State 25% 10%
% Out-of-State 53% 75%

Campus

F&M 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

  • Franklin and Marshall College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (1,990 students vs. 1,625 students)

F&M vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, F&M or Swarthmore?

  • Franklin and Marshall College is 11.4% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($65,652.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.4% higher at F&M than Swarthmore College ($65,652.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than F&M ($20,715 vs. $31,135)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Franklin and Marshall College are 19.9% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($15,040 vs. $18,026)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Franklin and Marshall College as Swarthmore College (63% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Franklin and Marshall College students is 3.1% larger than aid received Swarthmore College ($49,177 vs. $47,703)

F&M vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • F&M has a higher acceptance rate (36.2%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

F&M vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, F&M 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 F&M.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Franklin and Marshall College (95% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $3,900 more per year than F&M graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $61,900)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $2,500 lower median federal student loan debt than F&M graduates. ($19,500 vs. $22,000)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than F&M graduates. ($201 vs. $227)
  • More F&M graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Swarthmore students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 87%)

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