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Haverford College Carleton College Amherst Macalester College Williams Vassar Oberlin Bryn Mawr Johns Hopkins Pomona Cornell Carnegie Mellon| Grinnell College | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Grinnell | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Grinnell, IA | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Remote Town | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 1,759 | 1,625 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #55 | #40 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | grinnell.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Grinnell | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $60,988 | $58,928 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $60,988 | $58,928 | ||
| Room & Board | $15,048 | $18,026 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $33,467 | $20,715 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $42,231 | $47,703 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 91% | 63% |
Admission |
Grinnell | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 9,997 | 14,707 | ||
| Admitted | 1,076 | 1,019 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 10.8% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 40.6% | 42.5% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.89 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Exceptional | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 31/34 | 32/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1380/1530 | 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 |
Grinnell | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 9:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Grinnell | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 88% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $59,500 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 87% | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $13,170 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $136 | $201 |
Diversity |
Grinnell | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 47% | 49% | ||
| % Women | 53% | 51% | ||
| Racial Diversity | High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 56% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 7% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 8% | ||
| % International | 16% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 3% | 3% |
Students |
Grinnell | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 7% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 72% | 75% | ||
Campus |
Grinnell | 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
- Grinnell College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (1,759 students vs. 1,625 students)
Grinnell vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Grinnell or Swarthmore?
- Grinnell College is 3.5% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($60,988.00 vs. $58,928.00)
- Out of state tuition is 3.5% higher at Grinnell than Swarthmore College ($60,988.00 vs. $58,928.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Grinnell ($20,715 vs. $33,467)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Grinnell College are 19.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($15,048 vs. $18,026)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Grinnell College than Swarthmore College (91% vs. 63%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 13% larger than aid received Grinnell College ($47,703 vs. $42,231)
Grinnell vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Grinnell or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or Grinnell .
- The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 29 points higher than at Grinnell (1402)
- Incoming Grinnell students have at the same average ACT score (32) as students at Swarthmore (32)
- Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Grinnell (3.89)
- Grinnell has a higher acceptance rate (10.8%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)
Grinnell vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Grinnell 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 Grinnell.
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Grinnell College (95% vs. 88%)
- Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $6,300 more per year than Grinnell graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $59,500)
- Grinnell College students graduate with a $6,330 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($13,170 vs. $19,500)
- Grinnell graduates are paying $65 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($136 vs. $201)
- More Grinnell 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/