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Haverford College Amherst Williams Vassar Bryn Mawr Johns Hopkins Pomona Cornell Carnegie Mellon Georgetown Penn Middlebury| Penn State Lehigh Valley | Swarthmore College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | Swarthmore | ||
| Location | Center Valley, PA | Swarthmore, PA | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 888 | 1,625 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #40 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | psu.edu | swarthmore.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | Swarthmore | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $14,624 | $58,928 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $24,318 | $58,928 | ||
| Room & Board | $12,984 | $18,026 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $18,142 | $20,715 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $9,886 | $47,703 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 78% | 63% |
Admission |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 1,806 | 14,707 | ||
| Admitted | 1,699 | 1,019 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 94.1% | 6.9% | ||
| Enrolled % | 15.7% | 42.5% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.42 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Average | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | |||
| ACT Range | 22/26 | 32/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1100/1290 | 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 Lehigh Valley | Swarthmore | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 14:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | Swarthmore | ||
| Graduation Rate | 47% | 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 Lehigh Valley | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 57% | 49% | ||
| % Women | 43% | 51% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Medium | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 64% | 42% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 16% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 2% | 8% | ||
| % International | 0% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 1% | 3% |
Students |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | Swarthmore | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 93% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 6% | 75% | ||
Campus |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | 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
- Swarthmore College is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (1,625 students vs. 888 students)
Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Swarthmore?
- Swarthmore College is 303% more expensive to attend than Penn State Lehigh Valley for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $14,624.00)
- Out of state tuition is 142.3% higher at Swarthmore than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($58,928.00 vs. $24,318.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Swarthmore ($18,142 vs. $20,715)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 38.8% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($12,984 vs. $18,026)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Swarthmore College (78% vs. 63%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 382.5% larger than aid received Penn State Lehigh Valley ($47,703 vs. $9,886)
Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Lehigh Valley or Swarthmore? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Swarthmore or Penn State Lehigh Valley .
- The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 412 points higher than at Penn State Lehigh Valley (1019)
- Incoming Swarthmore students have a 9 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (23)
- Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have a 0.48 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Penn State Lehigh Valley (3.42)
- Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)
Penn State Lehigh Valley vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley.
- The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Penn State Lehigh Valley (95% vs. 47%)
- Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $10,500 more per year than Penn State Lehigh Valley 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 Lehigh Valley graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
- Swarthmore graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
- More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Lehigh Valley 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/