Penn State Mont Alto vs. Swarthmore

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

Penn State Mont Alto Swarthmore
Location Mont Alto, PA Swarthmore, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 670 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 Mont Alto Swarthmore
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $58,928
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $58,928
Room & Board $12,254 $18,026
Avg Net Price $19,838 $20,715
Avg Grant Aid $9,124 $47,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 79% 63%

Admission

Penn State Mont Alto Swarthmore
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 678 14,707
Admitted 619 1,019
Acceptance Rate 91.3% 6.9%
Enrolled % 30.7% 42.5%
Avg High School GPA - 3.9
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Moderate Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 32/35
SAT Range 1020/1230 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 Mont Alto Swarthmore
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (60%)
  • Work and Family Studies (9%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (9%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)

Outcomes

Penn State Mont Alto Swarthmore
Graduation Rate 52% 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 Mont Alto Swarthmore
% Men 41% 49%
% Women 59% 51%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 80% 42%
% Black 8% 6%
% Hispanic 5% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 8%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

Penn State Mont Alto Swarthmore
% In-State 76% 10%
% Out-of-State 24% 75%

Campus

Penn State Mont Alto 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

  • Swarthmore College is larger than than Penn State Mont Alto based on total student enrollment (1,625 students vs. 670 students)

Penn State Mont Alto vs. Swarthmore Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Mont Alto or Swarthmore?

  • Swarthmore College is 326.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Mont Alto for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 155.3% higher at Swarthmore than Penn State Mont Alto ($58,928.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Mont Alto than Swarthmore ($19,838 vs. $20,715)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Mont Alto are 47.1% lower than costs at Swarthmore College ($12,254 vs. $18,026)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Mont Alto than Swarthmore College (79% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 422.8% larger than aid received Penn State Mont Alto ($47,703 vs. $9,124)

Penn State Mont Alto vs. Swarthmore Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Swarthmore College (1431) is 476 points higher than at Penn State Mont Alto (955)
  • Incoming Swarthmore students have a 11 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Penn State Mont Alto (21)
  • Penn State Mont Alto has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Penn State Mont Alto vs. Swarthmore Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Mont Alto 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 Mont Alto.

  • The graduation rate at Swarthmore is higher than Penn State Mont Alto (95% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Swarthmore College earn on average $10,500 more per year than Penn State Mont Alto 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 Mont Alto graduates. ($19,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Swarthmore graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Mont Alto graduates. ($201 vs. $277)
  • More Swarthmore graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Mont Alto 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/