Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Swarthmore

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

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Swarthmore
Location Erie, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,295 1,625
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #503 #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu swarthmore.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $58,928
Room & Board $12,984 $18,026
Avg Net Price $21,968 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $9,685 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 71% 63%

Admission

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,363 14,707
Admitted 4,164 1,019
Acceptance Rate 95.4% 6.9%
Enrolled % 19.9% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.49 3.9
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 22/30 32/35
SAT Range 1095/1330 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 4, 2025

Academics

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (38%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 66% 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 Erie-Behrend College Swarthmore
% Men 64% 49%
% Women 36% 51%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 79% 42%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 2% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 8%
% International 9% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College Swarthmore
% In-State 74% 10%
% Out-of-State 19% 75%

Campus

 Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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

  • Penn State Erie Behrend College is larger than than Swarthmore based on total student enrollment (3,295 students vs. 1,625 students)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Erie-Behrend College or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 282.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Erie-Behrend College for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 127.9% higher at Swarthmore than Penn State Erie Behrend College ($58,928.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Penn State Erie-Behrend College ($20,715 vs. $21,968)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Erie Behrend College are 38.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($12,984 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Erie Behrend College than Swarthmore College (71% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 392.5% larger than aid received Penn State Erie Behrend College ($47,703 vs. $9,685)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 377 points higher than at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (1054)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 9 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (23)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.41 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (3.49)
  • Penn State Erie-Behrend College has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Penn State Erie-Behrend College vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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 Erie-Behrend College.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Penn State Erie Behrend College (95% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $10,500 more per year than Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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 Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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/