NC State vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to North Carolina State University at Raleigh or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if NC State 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Clemson UNC Chapel Hill Haverford College Virginia Tech UNC Charlotte UofSC Penn State ASU Amherst ECU Ohio State Purdue
North Carolina State University at Raleigh vs. Swarthmore College comparison
North Carolina State University at Raleigh Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
North Carolina State University at Raleigh Swarthmore College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

NC State Swarthmore
Location Raleigh, NC Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 36,700 1,625
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #123 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ncsu.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

NC State Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $6,535 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $28,276 $58,928
Room & Board $12,748 $18,026
Avg Net Price $14,852 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $9,181 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 71% 63%

Admission

NC State Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 35,568 14,707
Admitted 16,779 1,019
Acceptance Rate 47.2% 6.9%
Enrolled % 33.5% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 28/33 32/35
SAT Range 1280/1460 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

NC State Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (22%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Social Sciences (5%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

NC State Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 72% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $57,200 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,782 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $214 $201

Diversity

NC State Swarthmore
% Men 51% 49%
% Women 49% 51%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 74% 42%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 5% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 8%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

NC State Swarthmore
% In-State 83% 10%
% Out-of-State 14% 75%

Campus

NC State 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

  • North Carolina State University at Raleigh is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (36,700 students vs. 1,625 students)

NC State vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, NC State or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 801.7% more expensive to attend than NC State for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $6,535.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 108.4% higher at Swarthmore than North Carolina State University at Raleigh ($58,928.00 vs. $28,276.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at North Carolina State University at Raleigh than Swarthmore ($14,852 vs. $20,715)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at North Carolina State University at Raleigh are 41.4% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($12,748 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at North Carolina State University at Raleigh than Swarthmore College (71% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 419.6% larger than aid received North Carolina State University at Raleigh ($47,703 vs. $9,181)

NC State vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 167 points higher than at NC State (1264)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at NC State (29)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at NC State (3.83)
  • NC State has a higher acceptance rate (47.2%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

NC State vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, NC State 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 NC State.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than North Carolina State University at Raleigh (95% vs. 72%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $8,600 more per year than NC State graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $57,200)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $1,282 lower median federal student loan debt than NC State graduates. ($19,500 vs. $20,782)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than NC State graduates. ($201 vs. $214)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former NC State students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 76%)

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