MHC vs. Swarthmore

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

MHC Swarthmore
Location South Hadley, MA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,392 1,625
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #85 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mtholyoke.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

MHC Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $58,280 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $58,280 $58,928
Room & Board $17,180 $18,026
Avg Net Price $35,765 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $39,304 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 63%

Admission

MHC Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,894 14,707
Admitted 1,946 1,019
Acceptance Rate 39.8% 6.9%
Enrolled % 28% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 30/34 32/35
SAT Range 1350/1540 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

MHC Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

MHC Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 85% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,000 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,206 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $219 $201

Diversity

MHC Swarthmore
% Men 1% 49%
% Women 99% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 45% 42%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 8% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 8%
% International 26% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

MHC Swarthmore
% In-State 16% 10%
% Out-of-State 60% 75%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Mount Holyoke College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (2,392 students vs. 1,625 students)

MHC vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MHC or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 1.1% more expensive to attend than MHC for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $58,280.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.1% higher at Swarthmore than Mount Holyoke College ($58,928.00 vs. $58,280.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than MHC ($20,715 vs. $35,765)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mount Holyoke College are 4.9% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($17,180 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mount Holyoke College than Swarthmore College (80% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 21.4% larger than aid received Mount Holyoke College ($47,703 vs. $39,304)

MHC vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at MHC (3.87)
  • MHC has a higher acceptance rate (39.8%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

MHC vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MHC 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 MHC.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Mount Holyoke College (95% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $15,800 more per year than MHC graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $50,000)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $1,706 lower median federal student loan debt than MHC graduates. ($19,500 vs. $21,206)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $18 less per month on federal student loans than MHC graduates. ($201 vs. $219)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MHC students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 77%)

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