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Haverford College Oberlin Amherst Denison Williams Vassar Bryn Mawr Macalester College Johns Hopkins Pomona Cornell Carnegie Mellon| Kenyon College | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Kenyon | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Gambier, OH | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Distant Rural | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 2,184 | 1,644 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #59 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | kenyon.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Kenyon | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $69,030 | $61,992 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $69,030 | $61,992 | ||
| Room & Board | $14,410 | $18,964 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $44,470 | $17,930 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $39,330 | $62,084 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 83% | 53% |
Admission |
Kenyon | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 8,218 | 14,287 | ||
| Admitted | 2,524 | 992 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 30.7% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 18% | 41.8% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.84 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Exceptional | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 31/34 | 33/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1360/1500 | 1460/1560 | ||
| 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, 2026 | Jan 4, 2026 |
Academics |
Kenyon | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 9:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Kenyon | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 87% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $52,900 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 87% | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $19,000 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $196 | $201 |
Diversity |
Kenyon | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 7% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 12% | 1% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Low | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 73% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 4% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 7% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 8% | ||
| % International | 5% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 3% | 3% |
Students |
Kenyon | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 12% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 67% | 75% | ||
Campus |
Kenyon | 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
- Kenyon College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (2,184 students vs. 1,644 students)
Kenyon vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Kenyon or Swarthmore?
- Kenyon College is 11.4% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($69,030.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- Out of state tuition is 11.4% higher at Kenyon than Swarthmore College ($69,030.00 vs. $61,992.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Kenyon ($17,930 vs. $44,470)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Kenyon College are 31.6% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($14,410 vs. $18,964)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Kenyon College than Swarthmore College (83% vs. 53%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 57.9% larger than aid received Kenyon College ($62,084 vs. $39,330)
Kenyon vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Kenyon or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or Kenyon .
- The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 96 points higher than at Kenyon (1335)
- Incoming Swarthmore students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Kenyon (30)
- Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Kenyon (3.84)
- Kenyon has a higher acceptance rate (30.7%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)
Kenyon vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Kenyon 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 Kenyon.
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Kenyon College (95% vs. 87%)
- Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $12,900 more per year than Kenyon graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $52,900)
- Kenyon College students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($19,000 vs. $19,500)
- Kenyon graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($196 vs. $201)
- More Kenyon 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/