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Haverford College Harvard Stanford Amherst Princeton Williams Vassar Caltech Yale RPI Bryn Mawr Johns Hopkins| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
MIT | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Cambridge, MA | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 11,920 | 1,644 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #7 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | mit.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
MIT | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $59,750 | $61,992 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $59,750 | $61,992 | ||
| Room & Board | $19,390 | $18,964 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $21,519 | $17,930 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $58,331 | $62,084 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 58% | 53% |
Admission |
MIT | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 26,904 | 14,287 | ||
| Admitted | 1,274 | 992 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 4.7% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 85.6% | 41.8% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.96 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 34/36 | 33/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1510/1580 | 1460/1560 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Required to be considered for admission | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 1, 2026 | Jan 4, 2026 |
Academics |
MIT | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 3:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
MIT | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 93% | 95% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $142,100 | $65,800 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 92% | 87% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $17,316 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $179 | $201 |
Diversity |
MIT | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 37% | 0% | ||
| % Women | 25% | 1% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 37% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 15% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 6% | 8% | ||
| % International | 10% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 3% |
Students |
MIT | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 8% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 81% | 75% | ||
Campus |
MIT | 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
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (11,920 students vs. 1,644 students)
MIT vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, MIT or Swarthmore?
- Swarthmore College is 3.8% more expensive to attend than MIT for in-state tuition ($61,992.00 vs. $59,750.00)
- Out of state tuition is 3.8% higher at Swarthmore than Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($61,992.00 vs. $59,750.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than MIT ($17,930 vs. $21,519)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 2.2% lower than costs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($18,964 vs. $19,390)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than Swarthmore College (58% vs. 53%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 6.4% larger than aid received Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($62,084 vs. $58,331)
MIT vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, MIT or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or MIT .
- The average SAT score at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1507) is 76 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
- Incoming MIT students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Swarthmore (32)
- Accepted freshman MIT students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Swarthmore (3.9)
- Swarthmore has a higher acceptance rate (6.9%) than MIT (4.7%)
MIT vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, MIT 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 MIT.
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Massachusetts Institute of Technology (95% vs. 93%)
- Graduates from Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn on average $76,300 more per year than Swarthmore graduates after ten years. ($142,100 vs. $65,800)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology students graduate with a $2,184 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($17,316 vs. $19,500)
- MIT graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($179 vs. $201)
- More MIT graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Swarthmore students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 87%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/