Penn State Abington vs. Swarthmore

Should I go to Penn State Abington or Swarthmore College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Abington 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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Penn State Abington vs. Swarthmore College comparison
Penn State Abington Swarthmore College College 3 College 4
Penn State Abington Swarthmore College
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Overview

Penn State Abington Swarthmore
Location Abington, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,095 1,644
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #744 #41
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Abington Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $14,684 $61,992
Tuition (Out of State) $24,832 $61,992
Room & Board $11,912 $18,964
Avg Net Price $17,561 $17,930
Avg Grant Aid $9,516 $62,084
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 53%

Admission

Penn State Abington Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,575 14,287
Admitted 6,051 992
Acceptance Rate 92% 6.9%
Enrolled % 15% 41.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.9
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 21/27 33/34
SAT Range 1090/1310 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 4, 2026

Academics

Penn State Abington Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (35%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Abington Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 44% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $201

Diversity

Penn State Abington Swarthmore
% Men 0% 0%
% Women 0% 1%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 50% 42%
% Black 13% 6%
% Hispanic 10% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 8%
% International 5% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

Penn State Abington Swarthmore
% In-State 68% 10%
% Out-of-State 21% 75%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Abington is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (3,095 students vs. 1,644 students)

Penn State Abington vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Abington or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 322.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Abington for in-state tuition ($61,992.00 vs. $14,684.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 149.6% higher at Swarthmore than Penn State Abington ($61,992.00 vs. $24,832.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Abington than Swarthmore ($17,561 vs. $17,930)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Abington are 59.2% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($11,912 vs. $18,964)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Abington than Swarthmore College (70% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 552.4% larger than aid received Penn State Abington ($62,084 vs. $9,516)

Penn State Abington vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 456 points higher than at Penn State Abington (975)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 10 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State Abington (22)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.48 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Penn State Abington (3.42)
  • Penn State Abington has a higher acceptance rate (92%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Penn State Abington vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Abington 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 Penn State Abington.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Penn State Abington (95% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $10,500 more per year than Penn State Abington graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $55,300)
  • Swarthmore College students graduate with a $7,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Abington graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Abington graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Abington students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 69%)

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