Lehigh vs. Swarthmore

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

 Lehigh Swarthmore
Location Bethlehem, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 7,394 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #54 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website lehigh.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Lehigh Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $58,970 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $58,970 $58,928
Room & Board $15,890 $18,026
Avg Net Price $30,453 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $44,116 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 55% 63%

Admission

 Lehigh Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,163 14,707
Admitted 5,607 1,019
Acceptance Rate 37% 6.9%
Enrolled % 26.9% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition High Extreme
ACT Range 30/33 32/35
SAT Range 1340/1490 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 1, 2025 Jan 4, 2025

Academics

 Lehigh Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

 Lehigh Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 87% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,200 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,256 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $250 $201

Diversity

 Lehigh Swarthmore
% Men 54% 49%
% Women 46% 51%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 66% 42%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 9% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

 Lehigh Swarthmore
% In-State 21% 10%
% Out-of-State 71% 75%

Campus

 Lehigh Swarthmore
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Lehigh University is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (7,394 students vs. 1,625 students)

Lehigh vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Lehigh or Swarthmore?

  • Lehigh University is 0.1% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($58,970.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.1% higher at Lehigh than Swarthmore College ($58,970.00 vs. $58,928.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Lehigh ($20,715 vs. $30,453)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lehigh University are 13.4% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($15,890 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Swarthmore College than Lehigh University (63% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 8.1% larger than aid received Lehigh University ($47,703 vs. $44,116)

Lehigh vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 93 points higher than at Lehigh (1338)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Lehigh (31)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Lehigh (3.81)
  • Lehigh has a higher acceptance rate (37%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Lehigh vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Lehigh 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 Lehigh.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Lehigh University (95% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Lehigh University earn on average $23,400 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($89,200 vs. $65,800)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $4,756 lower median federal student loan debt than Lehigh graduates. ($19,500 vs. $24,256)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $49 less per month on federal student loans than Lehigh graduates. ($201 vs. $250)
  • More Lehigh graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Swarthmore students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 87%)

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