HMC vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Harvey Mudd College or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if HMC 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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Harvey Mudd College vs. Swarthmore College comparison
Harvey Mudd College Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
Harvey Mudd College Swarthmore College
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Overview

HMC Swarthmore
Location Claremont, CA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 922 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hmc.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

HMC Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $62,516 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $62,516 $58,928
Room & Board $19,879 $18,026
Avg Net Price $39,850 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $42,386 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 63%

Admission

HMC Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,440 14,707
Admitted 593 1,019
Acceptance Rate 13.4% 6.9%
Enrolled % 40% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.96 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 34/36 32/35
SAT Range 1480/1560 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 5, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

HMC Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (42%)
  • Physical Sciences (18%)
  • Mathematics (13%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

HMC Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 84% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $84,900 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments - 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,540 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $264 $201

Diversity

HMC Swarthmore
% Men 51% 49%
% Women 49% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 38% 42%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 13% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 8%
% International 13% 11%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

HMC Swarthmore
% In-State 43% 10%
% Out-of-State 43% 75%

Campus

HMC 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

  • Swarthmore College is larger than than HMC based on total student enrollment (1,625 students vs. 922 students)

HMC vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, HMC or Swarthmore?

  • Harvey Mudd College is 6.1% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($62,516.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.1% higher at HMC than Swarthmore College ($62,516.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than HMC ($20,715 vs. $39,850)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 10.3% lower than costs at Harvey Mudd College ($18,026 vs. $19,879)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Harvey Mudd College (63% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 12.5% larger than aid received Harvey Mudd College ($47,703 vs. $42,386)

HMC vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Harvey Mudd College (1484) is 53 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
  • Incoming HMC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Swarthmore (32)
  • Accepted freshman HMC students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Swarthmore (3.9)
  • HMC has a higher acceptance rate (13.4%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

HMC vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, HMC 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 HMC.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Harvey Mudd College (95% vs. 84%)
  • Graduates from Harvey Mudd College earn on average $19,100 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($84,900 vs. $65,800)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $6,040 lower median federal student loan debt than HMC graduates. ($19,500 vs. $25,540)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $63 less per month on federal student loans than HMC graduates. ($201 vs. $264)

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