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 2,330 1,644
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #89 #41
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mtholyoke.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

MHC Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $63,904 $61,992
Tuition (Out of State) $63,904 $61,992
Room & Board $18,838 $18,964
Avg Net Price $35,782 $17,930
Avg Grant Aid $41,823 $62,084
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 53%

Admission

MHC Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,030 14,287
Admitted 1,926 992
Acceptance Rate 38.3% 6.9%
Enrolled % 30.5% 41.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition High Extreme
ACT Range 31/33 33/34
SAT Range 1350/1500 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

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% 0%
% Women 4% 1%
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 17% 10%
% Out-of-State 58% 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 (2,330 students vs. 1,644 students)

MHC vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MHC or Swarthmore?

  • Mount Holyoke College is 3.1% more expensive to attend than Swarthmore for in-state tuition ($63,904.00 vs. $61,992.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.1% higher at MHC than Swarthmore College ($63,904.00 vs. $61,992.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than MHC ($17,930 vs. $35,782)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mount Holyoke College are 0.7% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($18,838 vs. $18,964)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mount Holyoke College than Swarthmore College (75% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 48.4% larger than aid received Mount Holyoke College ($62,084 vs. $41,823)

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 (38.3%) 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/